The lux Genes and Riboflavin Genes in Bioluminescent System of Photobacterium leiognathi are under Common Regulation

The key riboflavin synthesis genes are located immediately downstream of luxG in the lux operon from Photobacterium leiognathi. It is of interest that a site capable of forming a rho-independent terminator does not appear to be present between luxG and ribE in our previous data. These results raise the question of whether the transcription of lux and rib genes is integrated or not. In order to answer the question, in vivo transcriptional assay and Southern blot were examined. These studies demonstrate that neither transcriptional terminator nor promoter site is present in the intergenic region between of lux and rib genes as well as that the riboflavin genes are single copy in a chromosome of Photobacterium leiognathi.