Abstract
The sequence was determined of the 936 nucleotides that compose the fruK gene of Escherichia coli K12, together with the final 310 bases of fruF and the initial 224 bases of fruA, which flank fruK. These genes specify proteins that effect the uptake of fructose and its PEP-dependent conversion to fructose 1-phosphate (fruA and fruF), and the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of that product to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (fruK); together, these genes form the fruFKA operon. The deduced amino acid sequence of the fruK product exhibits little similarity to the major 6-phosphofructokinase of E. coli (pfkA) and the 6-phosphofructokinases present in a number of pro- and eukaryotic organisms, but there is 27%, 25% and 22% identity of sequence respectively with the minor 6-phosphofructokinase (pfkB) of E. coli, the lacC gene product of Staphylococcus aureus and the ribokinase of E. coli.