Characterization of RP 333, a gene encoding CapD of Rickettsia prowazekii with UDP-glucose 4-epimerase activity.

The genetic mechanism of membrane assembly in Rickettsia prowazekii, the causative agent of epidemic typhus, is unknown. Recent progress in genomics of this small intracellular bacterium prompted us to explore membrane biogenesis as it pertains to identification and characterization of gene products that are of importance in polysaccharide biosynthesis. We chose to define the function of the R.