Cloning and characterization of the histidine biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Abstract Biochemical and genetic data indicate that in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) the majority of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of histidine are clustered in a small region of the chromosome [Carere et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 123 (1973) 219–224; Russi et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 123 (1973) 225–232]. To investigate the structural organization and the regulation of these genes, we have constructed genomic libraries from S. coelicolor A3(2) in pUC vectors. Recombinant clones were isolated by complementation of an Escherichia coli hisBd auxotroph. A recombinant plasmid containing a 3.4-kb fragment of genomic DNA was further characterized. When cloned in the plasmid vector, pIJ699, this f…