Cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding universal stress protein from Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from Jack-in-a-Box outbreak.

A gene encoding the universal stress protein (uspA) was cloned from Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from a Jack-in-a-Box outbreak. The nucleotide sequence was determined and the amino acid sequence predicted. The gene was found to be highly conserved and shared 97% homology with the same gene of E. coli K-12. Within an 800-base pair (bp) region sequenced, a 15-bp mismatch existed between E. coli K-12 and O157:H7, of which 11 base pairs were internal to the structural gene of uspA. However, only an area with a 4-bp mismatch caused an amino acid substitution, changing an alanine to an arginine at position 140.