Physical mapping of several heat-shock genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the cloning of the mopA (GroEL) gene.

Using a series of oligonucleotides synthesized on the basis of conserved nucleotide or amino acid motifs in heat-shock genes/proteins, we have physically mapped the dnaK, lon, and hptG genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hybridization data suggest that there is a single copy of the mopBA (GroES/GroEL) operon but several additional copies of mopA. In addition, the map coordinates for the rpoD, rpoS, and rpoH genes were determined. The mopA gene from the mopBA operon was cloned and sequenced. The protein product of this gene showed 79% amino acid identity to the Escherichia coli GroEL and 98% identity to the GroEL sequence from P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. A number of discrepancies were found with the latter sequence.