Enantioselective Regulation of Lactate Racemization by LarR in Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus plantarumis a lactic acid bacterium that produces a racemic mixture ofl- andd-lactate from sugar fermentation. The interconversion of lactate isomers is performed by a lactate racemase (Lar) that is transcriptionally controlled by thel-/d-lactate ratio and maximally induced in the presence ofl-lactate. We previously reported that the Lar activity depends on the expression of two divergently oriented operons: (i) thelarABCDEoperon encodes the nickel-dependent lactate racemase (LarA), its maturases (LarBCE), and a lactic acid channel (LarD), and (ii) thelarR(MN)QOoperon encodes a transcriptional regulator (LarR) and a four-component ABC-type nickel transporter [Lar(MN), in which the M and N components are fused, LarQ, and LarO]. LarR is a novel regulator of the Crp-Fnr family (PrfA group). Here, the role of LarR was further characterizedin vivoandin vitro. We show that LarR is a positive regulator that is absolutely required for the expression of Lar activity. Using gel retardation experiments, we demonstrate that LarR binds to a 16-bp palindromic sequence (Lar box motif) that is present in thelarR-larAintergenic region. Mutations in the Lar box strongly affect LarR binding and completely abolish transcription from thelarApromoter (PlarA). Two half-Lar boxes located between the Lar box and the −35 box of PlarApromote LarR multimerization on DNA, and point mutations within one or both half-Lar boxes inhibit PlarAinduction byl-lactate. Gel retardation and footprinting experiments indicate thatl-lactate has a positive effect on the binding and multimerization of LarR, whiled-lactate antagonizes the positive effect ofl-lactate. A possible mechanism of LarR regulation by lactate enantiomers is proposed.