Abstract
A
lacZ-based reporter gene system was used to identify the promoter of the
Campylobacter jejuni iron-responsive gene regulator Fur. In other Gram-negative bacteria, the
fur promoter is usually located directly upstream of the
fur gene and is often autoregulated in response to iron. In this study we demonstrate that expression of the
C. jejuni fur gene is controlled from two promoters located in front of the first and second open reading frames upstream of
fur. Neither of these promoters was iron-regulated, and the presence of both promoters in front of
fur gives higher expression of the
lacZ reporter than with either promoter alone. Expression from two distal promoters might be a mechanism for regulating the level of the
C. jejuni Fur protein in response to unknown stimuli.