Analysis of cloned DNA from Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc which complements a deletion of the Escherichia coli trpE gene.

To analyze the cloned region of the chromosome of the spirochete Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc which complemented a defect in the trpE gene of Escherichia coli, we performed a series of experiments involving subcloning, transposon mutagenesis, and maxicells. By subcloning into pBR322 we were able to isolate the Leptospira genes on a 9.7-kilobase pair plasmid (pYC6). Transposon mutagenesis with Tn5 identified a 2.8-kilobase pair region of this plasmid as being necessary to complement a trpE deletion mutation in E. coli. Transformation of plasmid pYC6 into E. coli cells deleted for trpE and the proximal end of trpD showed that the Leptospira DNA complemented both defects. A maxicell analysis of various transposon-induced mutations of the plasmid revealed that three proteins (53.5, 23.6, and 22 kilodaltons) were encoded by the 2.8-kilobase pair region of the Leptospira genome. Two different promoters controlled the production of these three proteins.