A Novel Signal Transduction Protein PII Variant from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 Indicates a Two-Step Process for NAGK–PII Complex Formation

PII proteins belong to a family of highly conserved signal-transduction proteins that occurs widely in bacteria, archaea and plants. They respond to the central metabolites ATP, ADP and 2-OG (2-oxoglutarate), and control enzymes, transcription factors and transport proteins involved in nitrogen metabolism. In the present study, we examined the effect of ADP on in vitro PII-signalling properties for the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus, a model for oxygenic phototrophic organisms. Different ADP/ATP ratios strongly affected the properties of PII signalling. Increasing ADP antagonized the binding of 2-OG and directly affected the interactions of PII with its target proteins. The resulting PII-signalling properties indicate that, in mixtures of ADP and ATP, PII trimers are occupied by mixtures of adenylate nucleotides. Binding and kinetic activation of NAGK (N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase), the controlling enzyme of arginine biosynthesis, by PII was weakened by ADP, but relief from arginine inhibition remained unaffected. On the other hand, ADP enhanced the binding of PII to PipX, a co-activator of the transcription factor NtcA and, furthermore, antagonized the inhibitory effect of 2-OG on PII–PipX interaction. These results indicate that S. elongatus PII directly senses the adenylate energy charge, resulting in target-dependent differential modification of the PII-signalling properties.

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Signal Transduction Protein PII Is Required for NtcA-Regulated Gene Expression during Nitrogen Deprivation in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus Strain PCC 7942

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.185.8.2582-2591.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 185 (8) ◽

pp. 2582-2591 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

M. Fadi Aldehni ◽

Jörg Sauer ◽

Christian Spielhaupter ◽

Roland Schmid ◽

Karl Forchhammer

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Signal Transduction ◽

Synechococcus Elongatus ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Nitrogen Deprivation ◽

Wild Type ◽

Combined Nitrogen ◽

Signal Transduction Protein ◽

Regulated Gene Expression ◽

Pcc 7942

ABSTRACT The transcription factor of the cyclic AMP receptor protein/FNR family, NtcA, and the PII signaling protein play central roles in global nitrogen control in cyanobacteria. A dependence on PII for NtcA-regulated transcription, however, has not been observed. In the present investigation, we examined alterations in gene expression following nitrogen deprivation in Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC 7942 and specifically the roles of NtcA and PII. Global changes in de novo protein synthesis following combined-nitrogen deprivation were visualized by in vivo [35S]methionine labeling and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Nearly all proteins whose synthesis responded specifically to combined-nitrogen deprivation in wild-type cells of S. elongatus failed to respond in PII- and NtcA-deficient mutants. One of the proteins whose synthesis was down-regulated in a PII- and NtcA-dependent manner was RbcS, the small subunit of RubisCO. Quantification of its mRNA revealed that the abundance of the rbcLS transcript following combined-nitrogen deprivation rapidly declined in wild-type cells but not in PII and NtcA mutant cells. To investigate further the relationship between PII and NtcA, fusions of the promotorless luxAB reporter genes to the NtcA-regulated glnB gene were constructed and these constructs were used to transform wild-type cells and PII − and NtcA− mutants. Determination of bioluminescence under different growth conditions showed that NtcA represses gene expression in the presence of ammonium in a PII-independent manner. By contrast, NtcA-dependent activation of glnB expression following combined-nitrogen deprivation was impaired in the absence of PII. Together, these results suggest that under conditions of combined-nitrogen deprivation, the regulation of NtcA-dependent gene expression requires the PII signal transduction protein.

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