Heterologous gene expression in Campylobacter coli: the use of bacterial luciferase in a promoter probe vector.

A novel promoter probe plasmid (pSP73) was constructed to allow the analysis of environmentally regulated gene expression in Campylobacter. The vector utilizes the luxAB genes from Xenorhabdus luminescens, which encode a thermostable luciferase, as reporters of gene expression. The utility of this reporter system was demonstrated by placing the expression of luxAB under the transcriptional control of the flaA gene promoter.