Minimal requirements of the Streptomyces lividans 66 oriC region and its transcriptional and translational activities

Deletion analysis of a previously constructed minichromosome revealed that a stretch of DNA which is longer than 623 bp but shorter than 837 bp is required for autonomous replication of the Streptomyces lividans chromosome. Each of the dnaA and dnaN genes flanking the oriC region is individually transcribed from two promoters. Within the intergenic, nontranslatable region between the dnaA and dnaN genes, five main transcripts and several less abundant transcripts of various lengths as well as one of the promoters were identified. The introduction of additional DnaA boxes in S. lividans led to a significant increase in dnaA gene transcripts and to an enhanced level of the DnaA (73-kDa) protein. In summary, the data suggest that dnaA gene transcription is autoregulated and that initiation of the S. lividans chromosome is tightly controlled.