scholarly journals Regulation of the expression of whiB1 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: role of cAMP receptor protein

Microbiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 152 (9) ◽  
pp. 2749-2756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisheeth Agarwal ◽  
Tirumalai R. Raghunand ◽  
William R. Bishai

The wbl (whiB-like) genes encode putative transcription factors unique to actinomycetes. This study characterized the promoter element of one of the seven wbl genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whiB1 (Rv3219c). The results reveal that whiB1 is transcribed by a class I-type cAMP receptor protein (CRP)-dependent promoter, harbouring a CRP-binding site positioned at −58.5 with respect to its transcription start point. In vivo promoter activity analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggest that the expression of whiB1 is indeed regulated by cAMP-dependent binding of CRPM (encoded by the M. tuberculosis gene Rv3676) to the whiB1 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR). β-Galactosidase gene fusion analysis revealed induction of the whiB1 promoter in M. tuberculosis on addition of exogenous dibutyric cAMP (a diffusible cAMP analogue) only when an intact CRP-binding site was present. These results indicate that M. tuberculosis whiB1 transcription is regulated in part by cAMP levels via direct binding of cAMP-activated CRPM to a consensus CRP-binding site in the whiB1 5′UTR.

Genetics ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-727
Author(s):  
J P Fandl ◽  
L K Thorner ◽  
S W Artz

Abstract We studied the expression of the cya promoter(s) in cya-lac fusion strains of Salmonella typhimurium and demonstrated cAMP receptor protein (CRP)-dependent repression by cAMP. Expression of cya was reduced about fourfold in cultures grown in acetate minimal medium as compared to cultures grown in glucose-6-phosphate minimal medium. Expression of cya was also reduced about fourfold by addition of 5 mM cAMP to cultures grown in glucose minimal medium. We constructed in vitro deletion and insertion mutations altering a major cya promoter (P2) and a putative CRP binding site overlapping P2. These mutations were recombined into the chromosome by allele replacement with M13mp::cya recombinant phages and the regulation of the mutant promoters was analyzed. A 4-bp deletion of the CRP binding site and a 4-bp insertion in this site nearly eliminated repression by cAMP. A mutant with the P2 promoter and the CRP binding site both deleted exhibited an 80% reduction in cya expression; the 20% residual expression was insensitive to cAMP repression. This mutant retained a Cya+ phenotype. Taken together, the results establish that the cya gene is transcribed from multiple promoters one of which, P2, is negatively regulated by the cAMP-CRP complex. Correction for the contribution to transcription by the cAMP-CRP nonregulated cya promoters indicates that the P2 promoter is repressed at least eightfold by cAMP-CRP.


Microbiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 547-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L. Spreadbury ◽  
Mark J. Pallen ◽  
Tim Overton ◽  
Marcel A. Behr ◽  
Serge Mostowy ◽  
...  

The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv includes a homologue of the CRP/FNR (cAMP receptor protein/fumarate and nitrate reduction regulator) family of transcription regulators encoded by Rv3676. Sequencing of the orthologous gene from attenuated Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) strains revealed point mutations that affect the putative DNA-binding and cNMP-binding domains of the encoded protein. These mutations are not present in the published sequences of the Rv3676 orthologues in M. bovis, M. tuberculosis or Mycobacterium leprae. An Escherichia coli lacZ reporter system was used to show that the M. tuberculosis Rv3676 protein binds to DNA sites for CRP, but this DNA binding was decreased or abolished with the Rv3676 protein counterparts from BCG strains. The DNA-binding ability of the M. tuberculosis Rv3676 protein was decreased by the introduction of base changes corresponding to the BCG point mutations. Conversely, the DNA binding of the BCG Rv3676 proteins from BCG strains was restored by removing the mutations. These data show that in this reporter system the point mutations present in the Rv3676 orthologue in BCG strains render its function defective (early strains) or abolished (late strains) and suggest that this protein might be naturally defective in M. bovis BCG strains. This raises the possibility that a contributing factor to the attenuation of BCG strains may be an inability of this global regulator to control the expression of genes required for in vivo survival and persistence.


2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Yu Song ◽  
Sha-Sha Zang ◽  
Zheng-Ke Li ◽  
Guo-Zheng Dai ◽  
Ke Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTwo cAMP receptor proteins (CRPs), Sycrp1 (encoded bysll1371) and Sycrp2 (encoded bysll1924), exist in the cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. strain PCC 6803. Previous studies have demonstrated that Sycrp1 has binding affinity for cAMP and is involved in motility by regulating the formation of pili. However, the function of Sycrp2 remains unknown. Here, we report thatsycrp2disruption results in the loss of motility ofSynechocystissp. PCC 6803, and that the phenotype can be recovered by reintroducing thesycrp2gene into the genome ofsycrp2-disrupted mutants. Electron microscopy showed that thesycrp2-disrupted mutant lost the pilus apparatus on the cell surface, resulting in a lack of cell motility. Furthermore, the transcript level of thepilA9-pilA11operon (essential for cell motility and regulated by the cAMP receptor protein Sycrp1) was markedly decreased insycrp2-disrupted mutants compared with the wild-type strain. Moreover, yeast two-hybrid analysis and a pulldown assay demonstrated that Sycrp2 interacted with Sycrp1 to form a heterodimer and that Sycrp1 and Sycrp2 interacted with themselves to form homodimers. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that Sycrp1 specifically binds to the upstream region ofpilA9. Together, these findings indicate that inSynechocystissp. PCC 6803, Sycrp2 regulates the formation of pili and cell motility by interacting with Sycrp1.IMPORTANCEcAMP receptor proteins (CRPs) are widely distributed in cyanobacteria and play important roles in regulating gene expression. Although many cyanobacterial species have two cAMP receptor-like proteins, the functional links between them are unknown. Here, we found that Sycrp2 in the cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. strain PCC 6803 is essential for twitching motility and that it interacts with Sycrp1, a known cAMP receptor protein involved with twitching motility. Our findings indicate that the two cAMP receptor-like proteins in cyanobacteria do not have functional redundancy but rather work together.


Biochemistry ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 35 (48) ◽  
pp. 15302-15312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Eichenberger ◽  
Sylvie Déthiollaz ◽  
Nobuyuki Fujita ◽  
Akira Ishihama ◽  
Johannes Geiselmann

1998 ◽  
Vol 330 (1) ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Georgina LLOYD ◽  
J. W. Stephen BUSBY ◽  
J. Nigel SAVERY

During transcription initiation at bacterial promoters, the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase α subunit (αCTD) can interact with DNA-sequence elements (known as UP elements) and with activator proteins. We have constructed a series of semi-synthetic promoters carrying both an UP element and a consensus DNA-binding site for the Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein (CRP; a factor that activates transcription by making direct contacts with αCTD). At these promoters, the UP element was located at a variety of distances upstream of the CRP-binding site, which was fixed at position -41.5 bp upstream of the transcript start. At some positions, the UP element caused enhanced promoter activity whereas, at other positions, it had very little effect. In no case was the CRP-dependence of the promoter relieved. DNase I and hydroxyl-radical footprinting were used to study ternary RNA polymerase-CRP-promoter complexes formed at two of the most active of these promoters, and co-operativity between the binding of CRP and purified α subunits was studied. The footprints show that αCTD binds to the UP element as it is displaced upstream but that this displacement does not prevent αCTD from being contacted by CRP. Models to account for this are discussed.


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