ISOLATION OF DNAJ, DNAK, AND GRPE HOMOLOGS FROM BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI AND COMPLEMENTATION OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI MUTANTS

The heat-shock proteins DnaJ, DnaK, and GrpE are involved in the replication of various species of DNA in Escherichia coli, in addition to their roles in other processes, including protein disaggregation and export. We have cloned the Borrelia burgdorferi homologues of these genes. DNA sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame encoding a protein that is 62% identical to the E. coli DnaK protein. Genes homologous to the E. coli grpE and dnaJ genes, encoding products 28% and 39% identical to their homologues, are located up- and downstream, respectively, of the B. burgdorferi dnaK gene. No obvious promoters were detected in the sequenced DNA, although a potential transcription terminator was found downstream of the dnaJ gene, so these three genes may form an operon, perhaps with a fourth gene located upstream of the grpE gene. The grpE homologue complemented an E. coli grpE mutant and the dnaJ homologue complemented an E. coli dnaJ mutant, whereas the B. burgdorferi dnaK gene did not complement dnaK mutants.