Cloning and characterization of the groElocus from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

A 4.4‐kb DNA fragment was cloned from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae(strain 4074, serotype 1) by genetic complementation with Escherichia coli groES‐groELmutant strains. Sequence analysis of this fragment revealed a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (DeoD)‐encoding gene homolog (deoD), heat‐shock response‐encoding genes for the small (groES) and large subunits (groEL) and a partial open reading frame encoding an alcohol dehydrogenase homolog (adhE). The predicted amino‐acid sequence of groESand groELgenes showed extensive sequence identity (80–95%) with other Pasteurellaceae. The gene organization surrounding the groElocus was different from that of Haemophilus infuenzae. When expressed in E. coli, groES‐groELgenes were capable of complementing the growth of a λ lytic phage, indicating a structural as well as functional conservation.