Initial study of some methanogen genes: expression of Methanococcus voltae genes in Escherichia coli

This report elates studies of gene transfer experiments aimed at elucidating the genetic organization of a methanogen, Methanococcus volta. Our initial cloning study, was concerned with complementation of hisA and argG mutations in E. coli by DNA derived from M. voltae and cloned into the PstI site of the plasmid vector pBR322. This complemetation was correlated with production in maxicells of methanogen-encoded polypeptides. We found that expression of the argG-complementing DNA was dependent upon orientation with respect to the β-lactamase promoters of pBR322. 17 refs., 3 figs