Ammonium utilization in Bacillus subtilis: transport and regulatory functions of NrgA and NrgB

Microbiology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 149 (11) ◽  
pp. 3289-3297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Detsch ◽  
Jörg Stülke

Bacillus subtilis uses glutamine as the best source of nitrogen. In the absence of glutamine, alternative nitrogen sources such as ammonium can be used. Ammonium utilization involves the uptake of the gas or the ammonium ion, the synthesis of glutamine by the glutamine synthetase and the recycling of the glutamate by the glutamate synthase. In this work, ammonium transport in B. subtilis was studied. At high ammonium concentrations, a large fraction of the ammonium is present as ammonia, which may enter the cell via diffusion. In contrast, the ammonium transporter NrgA is required for ammonium utilization at low concentrations or at low pH values when the equilibrium between uncharged ammonia and the ammonium ion is shifted towards ammonium. Moreover, a functional NrgA is essential for the transport of the ammonium analogue methylammonium. NrgA is encoded in the nrgAB operon. The product of the second gene, NrgB, is a member of the PII family of regulatory proteins. In contrast to PII proteins from other organisms, there is no indication for a covalent modification of NrgB in response to the nitrogen supply of the cell. It is demonstrated here that NrgB is localized at the membrane, most likely in association with the ammonium transporter NrgA. The presence of a functional NrgB is required for full-level expression of the nrgAB operon in response to nitrogen limitation, suggesting that NrgB might relay the information on ammonium availability to downstream regulatory factors and thus fine-tune their activity.

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (10) ◽  
pp. 2652-2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Van Dommelen ◽  
Veerle Keijers ◽  
Jos Vanderleyden ◽  
Miklos de Zamaroczy

ABSTRACT An ammonium transporter of Azospirillum brasilense was characterized. In contrast to most previously reported putative prokaryotic NH4 + transporter genes, A. brasilense amtB is not part of an operon withglnB or glnZ which, in A. brasilense, encode nitrogen regulatory proteins PIIand PZ, respectively. Sequence analysis predicts the presence of 12 transmembrane domains in the deduced AmtB protein and classifies AmtB as an integral membrane protein. Nitrogen regulates the transcription of the amtB gene in A. brasilense by the Ntr system. amtB is the first gene identified in A. brasilense whose expression is regulated by NtrC. The observation that ammonium uptake is still possible in mutants lacking the AmtB protein suggests the presence of a second NH4 + transport mechanism. Growth ofamtB mutants at low ammonium concentrations is reduced compared to that of the wild type. This suggests that AmtB has a role in scavenging ammonium at low concentrations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Jeanine Rismondo ◽  
Lisa Maria Schulz

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are usually involved in the translocation of their cognate substrates, which is driven by ATP hydrolysis. Typically, these transporters are required for the import or export of a wide range of substrates such as sugars, ions and complex organic molecules. ABC exporters can also be involved in the export of toxic compounds such as antibiotics. However, recent studies revealed alternative detoxification mechanisms of ABC transporters. For instance, the ABC transporter BceAB of Bacillus subtilis seems to confer resistance to bacitracin via target protection. In addition, several transporters with functions other than substrate export or import have been identified in the past. Here, we provide an overview of recent findings on ABC transporters of the Gram-positive organisms B. subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes with transport or regulatory functions affecting antibiotic resistance, cell wall biosynthesis, cell division and sporulation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (6) ◽  
pp. 1749-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey G. Gardner ◽  
Jorge C. Escalante-Semerena

ABSTRACT This report provides in vivo evidence for the posttranslational control of the acetyl coenzyme A (Ac-CoA) synthetase (AcsA) enzyme of Bacillus subtilis by the acuA and acuC gene products. In addition, both in vivo and in vitro data presented support the conclusion that the yhdZ gene of B. subtilis encodes a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase homologous to the yeast Sir2 protein (also known as sirtuin). On the basis of this new information, a change in gene nomenclature, from yhdZ to srtN (for sirtuin), is proposed to reflect the activity associated with the YdhZ protein. In vivo control of B. subtilis AcsA function required the combined activities of AcuC and SrtN. Inactivation of acuC or srtN resulted in slower growth and cell yield under low-acetate conditions than those of the wild-type strain, and the acuC srtN strain grew under low-acetate conditions as poorly as the acsA strain. Our interpretation of the latter result was that both deacetylases (AcuC and SrtN) are needed to maintain AcsA as active (i.e., deacetylated) so the cell can grow with low concentrations of acetate. Growth of an acuA acuC srtN strain on acetate was improved over that of the acuA + acuC srtN strain, indicating that the AcuA acetyltransferase enzyme modifies (i.e., inactivates) AcsA in vivo, a result consistent with previously reported in vitro evidence that AcsA is a substrate of AcuA.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendon J. Monahan ◽  
Marion C. Askin ◽  
Michael J. Hynes ◽  
Meryl A. Davis

ABSTRACT The movement of ammonium across biological membranes is mediated in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes by ammonium transport proteins (AMT/MEP) that constitute a family of related sequences. We have previously identified two ammonium permeases in Aspergillus nidulans, encoded by the meaA and mepA genes. Here we show that meaA is expressed in the presence of ammonium, consistent with the function of MeaA as the main ammonium transporter required for optimal growth on ammonium as a nitrogen source. In contrast, mepA, which encodes a high-affinity ammonium permease, is expressed only under nitrogen-limiting or starvation conditions. We have identified two additional AMT/MEP-like genes in A. nidulans, namely, mepB, which encodes a second high-affinity ammonium transporter expressed only in response to complete nitrogen starvation, and mepC, which is expressed at low levels under all nitrogen conditions. The MepC gene product is more divergent than the other A. nidulans AMT/MEP proteins and is not thought to significantly contribute to ammonium uptake under normal conditions. Remarkably, the expression of each AMT/MEP gene under all nitrogen conditions is regulated by the global nitrogen regulatory GATA factor AreA. Therefore, AreA is also active under nitrogen-sufficient conditions, along with its established role as a transcriptional activator in response to nitrogen limitation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 396 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mayer ◽  
Marek Dynowski ◽  
Uwe Ludewig

AMT (ammonium transporter)/Rh (Rhesus) ammonium transporters/channels are identified in all domains of life and fulfil contrasting functions related either to ammonium acquisition or excretion. Based on functional and crystallographic high-resolution structural data, it was recently proposed that the bacterial AmtB (ammonium transporter B) is a gas channel for NH3 [Khademi, O'Connell, III, Remis, Robles-Colmenares, Miercke and Stroud (2004) Science 305, 1587–1594; Zheng, Kostrewa, Berneche, Winkler and Li (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 17090–17095]. Key residues, proposed to be crucial for NH3 conduction, and the hydrophobic, but obstructed, pore were conserved in a homology model of LeAMT1;1 from tomato. Transport by LeAMT1;1 was affected by mutations of residues that were predicted to constitute the aromatic recruitment site for NH4+ at the external pore entrance. Despite the structural similarities, LeAMT1;1 was shown to transport only the ion; each transported 14C-methylammonium molecule carried a single positive elementary charge. Similarly, NH4+ (or H+/NH3) was transported, but NH3 conduction was excluded. It is concluded that related proteins and a similar molecular architecture can apparently support contrasting transport mechanisms.


1990 ◽  
Vol 329 (1255) ◽  
pp. 369-373 ◽  

We tried to develop deterministic models for kinetics of 2,4-D breakdown in the soil based on the following considerations: (i) at low concentrations degradation results from maintenance consumption by a large fraction of the soil microbial population; (ii) at high concentration in addition to the maintenance consumption there is a growth-associated carbon incorporation by a small specific microbial population. Values for the biokinetic parameters are consistent with those commonly found in the literature. Comparison between observed and simulated curves suggests that a non-negligible part of the pesticidal carbon exists as microbial by-products.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (16) ◽  
pp. 5087-5097
Author(s):  
De-Bin Qin ◽  
Meng-Yuan Liu ◽  
Lixing Yuan ◽  
Yun Zhu ◽  
Xi-Dong Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation modulates the absorption of many nutrients in plants. CALCIUM-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASES (CPKs) are key players in plant signaling to translate calcium signals into diverse physiological responses. However, the regulatory role of CPKs in ammonium uptake remains largely unknown. Here, using methylammonium (MeA) toxicity screening, CPK32 was identified as a positive regulator of ammonium uptake in roots. CPK32 specifically interacted with AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER 1;1 (AMT1;1) and phosphorylated AMT1;1 at the non-conserved serine residue Ser450 in the C-terminal domain. Functional analysis in Xenopus oocytes showed that co-expression of CPK32 and AMT1;1 significantly enhanced the AMT1;1-mediated inward ammonium currents. In transgenic plants, the phosphomimic variant AMT1;1S450E, but not the non-phosphorylatable variant AMT1;1S450A, fully complemented the MeA insensitivity and restored high-affinity 15NH4+ uptake in both amt1;1 and cpk32 mutants. Moreover, in the CPK32 knockout background, AMT1;1 lost its ammonium transport activity entirely. These results indicate that CPK32 is a crucial positive regulator of ammonium uptake in roots and the ammonium transport activity of AMT1;1 is dependent on CPK32-mediated phosphorylation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (12) ◽  
pp. 3368-3376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Eberl ◽  
Aldo Ammendola ◽  
Michael H. Rothballer ◽  
Michael Givskov ◽  
Claus Sternberg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT By using mini-Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, random transcriptional fusions of promoterless bacterial luciferase,luxAB, to genes of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 were generated. Insertion mutants that responded to ammonium deficiency by induction of bioluminescence were selected. The mutant that responded most strongly was genetically analyzed and is demonstrated to bear the transposon within the assimilatory nitrate reductase gene (nasB) of P. putida KT2442. Genetic evidence as well as sequence analyses of the DNA regions flanking nasBsuggest that the genes required for nitrate assimilation are not clustered. We isolated three second-site mutants in which induction ofnasB expression was completely abolished under nitrogen-limiting conditions. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the chromosomal junctions revealed that in all three mutants the secondary transposon had inserted at different sites in the gltB gene of P. putida KT2442 encoding the major subunit of the glutamate synthase. A detailed physiological characterization of thegltB mutants revealed that they are unable to utilize a number of potential nitrogen sources, are defective in the ability to express nitrogen starvation proteins, display an aberrant cell morphology under nitrogen-limiting conditions, and are impaired in the capacity to survive prolonged nitrogen starvation periods.


2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 2202-2207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabah El Alaoui ◽  
Jesús Diez ◽  
Lourdes Humanes ◽  
Fermı́n Toribio ◽  
Frédéric Partensky ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The physiological regulation of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC6.3.1.2 ) in the axenic Prochlorococcus sp. strain PCC 9511 was studied. GS activity and antigen concentration were measured using the transferase and biosynthetic assays and the electroimmunoassay, respectively. GS activity decreased when cells were subjected to nitrogen starvation or cultured with oxidized nitrogen sources, which proved to be nonusable forProchlorococcus growth. The GS activity in cultures subjected to long-term phosphorus starvation was lower than that in equivalent nitrogen-starved cultures. Azaserine, an inhibitor of glutamate synthase, provoked an increase in enzymatic activity, suggesting that glutamine is not involved in GS regulation. Darkness did not affect GS activity significantly, while the addition of diuron provoked GS inactivation. GS protein determination showed that azaserine induces an increase in the concentration of the enzyme. The unusual responses to darkness and nitrogen starvation could reflect adaptation mechanisms of Prochlorococcus for coping with a light- and nutrient-limited environment.


2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 981-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica C. Wilks ◽  
Ryan D. Kitko ◽  
Sarah H. Cleeton ◽  
Grace E. Lee ◽  
Chinagozi S. Ugwu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Acid and base environmental stress responses were investigated in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis AG174 cultures in buffered potassium-modified Luria broth were switched from pH 8.5 to pH 6.0 and recovered growth rapidly, whereas cultures switched from pH 6.0 to pH 8.5 showed a long lag time. Log-phase cultures at pH 6.0 survived 60 to 100% at pH 4.5, whereas cells grown at pH 7.0 survived <15%. Cells grown at pH 9.0 survived 40 to 100% at pH 10, whereas cells grown at pH 7.0 survived <5%. Thus, growth in a moderate acid or base induced adaptation to a more extreme acid or base, respectively. Expression indices from Affymetrix chip hybridization were obtained for 4,095 protein-encoding open reading frames of B. subtilis grown at external pH 6, pH 7, and pH 9. Growth at pH 6 upregulated acetoin production (alsDS), dehydrogenases (adhA, ald, fdhD, and gabD), and decarboxylases (psd and speA). Acid upregulated malate metabolism (maeN), metal export (czcDO and cadA), oxidative stress (catalase katA; OYE family namA), and the SigX extracytoplasmic stress regulon. Growth at pH 9 upregulated arginine catabolism (roc), which generates organic acids, glutamate synthase (gltAB), polyamine acetylation and transport (blt), the K+/H+ antiporter (yhaTU), and cytochrome oxidoreductases (cyd, ctaACE, and qcrC). The SigH, SigL, and SigW regulons were upregulated at high pH. Overall, greater genetic adaptation was seen at pH 9 than at pH 6, which may explain the lag time required for growth shift to high pH. Low external pH favored dehydrogenases and decarboxylases that may consume acids and generate basic amines, whereas high external pH favored catabolism-generating acids.


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