The mglB sequence of Salmonella typhimurium LT2; promoter analysis by gene fusions and evidence for a divergently oriented gene coding for the mgl repressor.

The mglB gene of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 coding for the galactose-binding protein (GBP) was sequenced. We compared the deduced amino acid sequence with the GBP sequence of Escherichia coli K 12. The mature proteins differ in only 19 of 309 amino acid residues, corresponding to 94% homology. Analysis of the mglB control region by promoter-probe vectors revealed that two promoters, P1 and P2, constitute the mgl control region (Pmgl). P1 and P2 function in a synergistic way. P1 is the main promoter of the operon; its activity is 20 times the activity of P2. Both promoters are activated by the cyclic adenosine monophosphate catabolite activator protein (cAMP/CAP) complex. While P1 is inactive in the absence of the cAMP/CAP complex, there is residual activity of P2 under these conditions. Studies on the inducibility of the mglBAEC operon using multicopy plasmid promoter-probe vectors were hampered by the titration of the mgl repressor resulting in a partially constitutive expression of the mgl operon. The results indicate that only P1 is responding to induction by D-fucose. A weak promoter, PD, within the P1 region but divergent to it was found. PD is neither stimulated by the cAMP/CAP complex nor by D-fucose. We cloned the gene located downstream to PD and found it to strongly repress the expression of the mgl operon. We termed this gene mglD. The presence of D-fucose abolished the repression caused by the plasmid-encoded mglD gene product.