Isolation and characterization of promoter regions from Streptococcus gordonii CH1.

We aimed to identify transcription signal sequences from Streptococcus gordonii strain CH1 by random chromosomal cloning. Five genomic fragments from a Sau3A digest, which constitutively activated transcription of a promoterless spectinomycin resistance gene in this strain, were isolated and characterized. Additionally, one promoter fragment was isolated that was specifically activated under iron-limiting conditions. A sequence motif with similarity to the consensus for Fur-binding regulatory DNA sequences (Fur box) in Escherichia coli was detected within the putative promoter region. The open reading frame downstream of this region possibly encodes a transmembrane protein involved in iron uptake.