Structure and transcription of genes within the β-hbd-adh1 region of Clostridium acetobutylicum P262

The 1.2-kb DNA fragment upstream of the linked β-hbd (3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase) and adh1 (NADPH-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase) genes from Clostridium acetobutylicum P262 was sequenced. The upstream region contained an open reading frame (ORFB) which was found to have 44% amino acid identity to the fixB gene products of yRhizobium and Azorhizobium. The β-hbd and ORFB genes were expressed during the acidogenic and solventogenic phases. The β-hbd gene was transcribed on a single mRNA species of 2.0 kb, whereas the ORFB gene was transcribed on two species of mRNA of 2.0 and 3.5 kb, respectively. The adh1 gene was induced or derepressed at the pH breakpoint before the onset of solventogenesis and was transcribed on a single species of mRNA of 2.4 kb.