Nucleotide sequence corresponding to five chemotaxis genes in Escherichia coli.

The nucleotide sequence of DNA which contains five chemotaxis-related genes of Escherichia coli, cheW, cheR, cheB, cheY, and cheZ, and part of the cheA gene was determined. Molecular weights of the polypeptides encoded by these genes were calculated from translated amino acid sequences, and they were 18,100 for cheW, 32,700 for cheR, 37,500 for cheB, 14,100 for cheY, and 24,000 for cheZ. Nucleotide sequences which could act as ribosome-binding sites were found in the upstream region of each gene. After the termination codon of the cheW gene, a typical rho-independent transcription termination signal was observed. There are no other open reading frames long enough to encode polypeptides in this region except those which code for the two previously reported genes tar and tap.