scholarly journals Transcriptional Activation of the Bacillus subtilis spoIIG Promoter by the Response Regulator Spo0A Is Independent of the C-Terminal Domain of the RNA Polymerase Alpha Subunit

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (17) ◽  
pp. 4760-4763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean A. Rowe-Magnus ◽  
Mario Mencía ◽  
Fernando Rojo ◽  
Margarita Salas ◽  
George B. Spiegelman
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Alpha Subunit ◽  
Deletion Mutants ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Initiation Mechanism

ABSTRACT In vitro transcription from the spoIIG promoter byBacillus subtilis RNA polymerase reconstituted with wild-type alpha subunits and with C-terminal deletion mutants of the alpha subunit was equally stimulated by the response regulator Spo0A. Some differences in the structure of open complexes formed by RNA polymerase containing alpha subunit mutants were noted, although the wild-type and mutant polymerases appeared to use the same initiation mechanism.

scholarly journals Phosphorylation of the Group A Streptococcal CovR Response Regulator Causes Dimerization and Promoter-Specific Recruitment by RNA Polymerase

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (13) ◽  
pp. 4620-4626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asiya A. Gusa ◽  
Jinxin Gao ◽  
Virginia Stringer ◽  
Gordon Churchward ◽  
June R. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Group A Streptococcus ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Group A ◽  
The Difference

ABSTRACT The group A streptococcus (GAS), Streptococcus pyogenes, is an important human pathogen that causes infections ranging in severity from self-limiting pharyngitis to severe invasive diseases that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenic effects of GAS are mediated by the expression of virulence factors, one of which is the hyaluronic acid capsule (encoded by genes in the has operon). The expression of these virulence factors is controlled by the CovR/S (CsrR/S) two-component regulatory system of GAS which regulates, directly or indirectly, the expression of about 15% of the genome. CovR is a member of the OmpR/PhoB family of transcriptional regulators. Here we show that phosphorylation by acetyl phosphate results in dimerization of CovR. Dimerization was not observed using a D53A mutant of CovR, indicating that D53 is the site of phosphorylation in CovR. Phosphorylation stimulated binding of CovR to a DNA fragment containing the promoter of the has operon (Phas) approximately twofold. Binding of CovR D53A mutant protein to Phas was indistinguishable from the binding of wild-type unphosphorylated CovR. In vitro transcription, using purified GAS RNA polymerase, showed that wild-type CovR repressed transcription, and repression was stimulated more than sixfold by phosphorylation. In the presence of RNA polymerase, binding at Phas of phosphorylated, but not unphosphorylated, CovR was stimulated about fourfold, which accounts for the difference in the effect of phosphorylation on repression versus DNA binding. Thus, regulation of Phas by CovR is direct, and the degree of repression of Phas is controlled by the phosphorylation of CovR.

scholarly journals Autoinduction of Bacillus subtilis phoPR Operon Transcription Results from Enhanced Transcription from EσA- and EσE-Responsive Promoters by Phosphorylated PhoP

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (13) ◽  
pp. 4262-4275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salbi Paul ◽  
Stephanie Birkey ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
F. Marion Hulett
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Phosphate Starvation ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Phosphate Deficiency ◽  
Pho Regulon ◽  
Environmental Controls ◽  
Rna Polymerase Holoenzyme

ABSTRACT The phoPR operon encodes a response regulator, PhoP, and a histidine kinase, PhoR, which activate or repress genes of the Bacillus subtilis Pho regulon in response to an extracellular phosphate deficiency. Induction of phoPR upon phosphate starvation required activity of both PhoP and PhoR, suggesting autoregulation of the operon, a suggestion that is supported here by PhoP footprinting on the phoPR promoter. Primer extension analyses, using RNA from JH642 or isogenic sigE or sigB mutants isolated at different stages of growth and/or under different growth conditions, suggested that expression of the phoPR operon represents the sum of five promoters, each responding to a specific growth phase and environmental controls. The temporal expression of the phoPR promoters was investigated using in vitro transcription assays with RNA polymerase holoenzyme isolated at different stages of Pho induction, from JH642 or isogenic sigE or sigB mutants. In vitro transcription studies using reconstituted EσA, EσB, and EσE holoenzymes identified PA4 and PA3 as EσA promoters and PE2 as an EσE promoter. Phosphorylated PhoP (PhoP∼P) enhanced transcription from each of these promoters. EσB was sufficient for in vitro transcription of the PB1 promoter. P5 was active only in a sigB mutant strain. These studies are the first to report a role for PhoP∼P in activation of promoters that also have activity in the absence of Pho regulon induction and an activation role for PhoP∼P at an EσE promoter. Information concerning PB1 and P5 creates a basis for further exploration of the regulatory coordination or overlap of the PhoPR and SigB regulons during phosphate starvation.

scholarly journals Codon Deletions in the Influenza A Virus PA Gene Generate Temperature-Sensitive Viruses

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 3684-3693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léa Meyer ◽  
Alix Sausset ◽  
Laura Sedano ◽  
Bruno Da Costa ◽  
Ronan Le Goffic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Deletion Mutants ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Restrictive Temperature ◽  
Wild Type

ABSTRACTThe influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is composed of three subunits, PB1, PB2, and PA, catalyzes genome replication and transcription within the cell nucleus. The PA linker (residues 197 to 256) can be altered by nucleotide substitutions to engineer temperature-sensitive (ts), attenuated mutants that display a defect in the transport of the PA–PB1 complex to the nucleus at a restrictive temperature. In this study, we investigated the ability of the PA linker to tolerate deletion mutations for furtherin vitroandin vivocharacterization. Four viable mutants with single-codon deletions were generated; all of them exhibited atsphenotype that was associated with the reduced efficiency of replication/transcription of a pseudoviral reporter RNA in a minireplicon assay. Using fluorescently tagged PB1, we observed that the deletion mutants did not efficiently recruit PB1 to reach the nucleus at a restrictive temperature (39.5°C). Mouse infections showed that the four mutants were attenuated and induced antibodies that were able to protect mice from challenge with a lethal homologous wild-type virus. Serialin vitropassages of two deletion mutants at 39.5°C and 37°C did not allow the restoration of a wild-type phenotype among virus progeny. Thus, our results identify codons that can be deleted in the PA gene to engineer genetically stabletsmutants that could be used to design novel attenuated vaccines.IMPORTANCEIn order to generate genetically stable live influenza A virus vaccines, we constructed viruses with single-codon deletions in a discrete domain of the RNA polymerase PA gene. The four rescued viruses exhibited a temperature-sensitive phenotype that we found was associated with a defect in the transport of the PA–PB1 dimer to the nucleus, where viral replication occurs. Thesetsdeletion mutants were shown to be attenuated and to be able to produce antibodies in mice and to protect them from a lethal challenge. Assays to select revertants that were able to grow efficiently at a restrictive temperature failed, showing that these deletion mutants are genetically more stable than conventional substitution mutants. These results are of interest for the design of genetically stable live influenza virus vaccines.

scholarly journals Mutational Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis RNA Polymerase α C-Terminal Domain Supports the Interference Model of Spx-Dependent Repression

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (12) ◽  
pp. 4300-4311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Shunji Nakano ◽  
Soon-Yong Choi ◽  
Peter Zuber
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Transcriptional Control ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Alanine Scanning Mutagenesis ◽  
Terminal Domain

ABSTRACT The Spx protein of Bacillus subtilis exerts both positive and negative transcriptional control in response to oxidative stress by interacting with the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase (RNAP) alpha subunit (αCTD). Thus, transcription of the srf operon at the onset of competence development, which requires the ComA response regulator of the ComPA signal transduction system, is repressed by Spx-αCTD interaction. Previous genetic and structural analyses have determined that an Spx-binding surface resides in and around the α1 region of αCTD. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of B. subtilis αCTD uncovered residue positions required for Spx function and ComA-dependent srf transcriptional activation. Analysis of srf-lacZ fusion expression, DNase I footprinting, and solid-phase promoter retention experiments indicate that Spx interferes with ComA-αCTD interaction and that residues Y263, C265, and K267 of the α1 region lie within overlapping ComA- and Spx-binding sites for αCTD interaction. Evidence is also presented that oxidized Spx, while enhancing interference of activator-RNAP interaction, is not essential for negative control.

scholarly journals Involvement of the RNA Polymerase α-Subunit C-Terminal Domain in LuxR-Dependent Activation of the Vibrio fischeri Luminescence Genes

1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (15) ◽  
pp. 4704-4707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann M. Stevens ◽  
Nobuyuki Fujita ◽  
Akira Ishihama ◽  
E. P. Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Vibrio Fischeri ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Subunit C ◽  
Terminal Domain

ABSTRACT LuxR is a ς70 RNA polymerase (RNAP)-dependent transcriptional activator that controls expression of the Vibrio fischeri lux operon in response to an acylhomoserine lactone-cell density signal. We have investigated whether the α-subunit C-terminal domain (αCTD) of RNAP is required for LuxR activity. A purified signal-independent, LuxR C-terminal domain-containing polypeptide (LuxRΔN) was used to study the activation of transcription from theluxI promoter in vitro. Initiation of luxoperon transcription was observed in the presence of LuxRΔN and wild-type RNAP but not in the presence of LuxRΔN and RNAPs with truncated αCTDs. We also studied the in vivo role of the RNAP αCTD in activation of lux transcription in Escherichia coli. This enabled a comparison of results obtained with full-length LuxR to those obtained with LuxRΔN. These in vivo studies indicated that both LuxR and LuxRΔN require the RNAP αCTD for activity. The results of DNase I protection studies showed that LuxRΔN-RNAP complexes can bind and protect the luxIpromoter, but with less efficacy when the αCTD is truncated in comparison to the wild type. Thus, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that LuxR-dependent transcriptional activation of the lux operon involves the RNAP αCTD and suggest that αCTD-LuxR interactions may play a role in recruitment of RNAP to theluxI promoter.

scholarly journals Properties of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase from a strain devoid of the stringent response alarmone ppGpp.

2008 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Szalewska-Pałasz
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Stringent Response ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Complex Stability ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Guanosine Tetraphosphate ◽  
Sigma 70 ◽  
In Vitro Performance

The stringent response alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) affects transcription from many promoters. ppGpp binds directly to the transcription enzyme of Escherichia coli, RNA polymerase. Analysis of the crystal structure of RNA polymerase with ppGpp suggested that binding of this nucleotide may result in some conformational or post-translational alterations to the enzyme. These changes might affect in vitro performance of the enzyme. Here, a comparison of the in vitro properties of RNA polymerases isolated from wild type and ppGpp-deficient bacteria shows that both enzymes do not differ in i) transcription activity of various promoters (e.g. sigma(70)-rrnB P1, lambdapL, T7A1), ii) response to ppGpp, iii) promoter-RNA polymerase open complex stability. Thus, it may be concluded that ppGpp present in the bacterial cell prior to purification of the RNA polymerase does not result in the alterations to the enzyme that could be permanent and affect its in vitro transcription capacity.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Activation by Bacillus subtilis ResD: Tandem Binding to Target Elements and Phosphorylation-Dependent and -Independent Transcriptional Activation

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (7) ◽  
pp. 2028-2037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Geng ◽  
Shunji Nakano ◽  
Michiko M. Nakano
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Phosphorylation Site ◽  
Oxygen Limitation ◽  
Nitrate Respiration ◽  
Expression Of Genes

ABSTRACT The expression of genes involved in nitrate respiration in Bacillus subtilis is regulated by the ResD-ResE two-component signal transduction system. The membrane-bound ResE sensor kinase perceives a redox-related signal(s) and phosphorylates the cognate response regulator ResD, which enables interaction of ResD with ResD-dependent promoters to activate transcription. Hydroxyl radical footprinting analysis revealed that ResD tandemly binds to the −41 to −83 region of hmp and the −46 to −92 region of nasD. In vitro runoff transcription experiments showed that ResD is necessary and sufficient to activate transcription of the ResDE regulon. Although phosphorylation of ResD by ResE kinase greatly stimulated transcription, unphosphorylated ResD, as well as ResD with a phosphorylation site (Asp57) mutation, was able to activate transcription at a low level. The D57A mutant was shown to retain the activity in vivo to induce transcription of the ResDE regulon in response to oxygen limitation, suggesting that ResD itself, in addition to its activation through phosphorylation-mediated conformation change, senses oxygen limitation via an unknown mechanism leading to anaerobic gene activation.

scholarly journals Bordetella pertussis fim3gene regulation by BvgA: Phosphorylation controls the formation of inactive vs. active transcription complexes

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. E526-E535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Boulanger ◽  
Kyung Moon ◽  
Kimberly B. Decker ◽  
Qing Chen ◽  
Leslie Knipling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Bordetella Pertussis ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Virulence Gene ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Transcription Complexes

Two-component systems [sensor kinase/response regulator (RR)] are major tools used by microorganisms to adapt to environmental conditions. RR phosphorylation is typically required for gene activation, but few studies have addressed how and if phosphorylation affects specific steps during transcription initiation. We characterized transcription complexes made with RNA polymerase and theBordetella pertussisRR, BvgA, in its nonphosphorylated or phosphorylated (BvgA∼P) state at Pfim3, the promoter for the virulence genefim3(fimbrial subunit), using gel retardation, potassium permanganate and DNase I footprinting, cleavage reactions with protein conjugated with iron bromoacetamidobenzyl-EDTA, and in vitro transcription. Previous work has shown that the level of nonphosphorylated BvgA remains high in vivo under conditions in which BvgA is phosphorylated. Our results here indicate that surprisingly both BvgA and BvgA∼P form open and initiating complexes with RNA polymerase at Pfim3. However, phosphorylation of BvgA is needed to generate the correct conformation that can transition to competent elongation. Footprints obtained with the complexes made with nonphosphorylated BvgA are atypical; while the initiating complex with BvgA synthesizes short RNA, it does not generate full-length transcripts. Extended incubation of the BvgA/RNA polymerase initiated complex in the presence of heparin generates a stable, but defective species that depends on the initial transcribed sequence offim3. We suggest that the presence of nonphosphorylated BvgA down-regulates Pfim3activity when phosphorylated BvgA is present and may allow the bacterium to quickly adapt to the loss of inducing conditions by rapidly eliminating Pfim3activation once the signal for BvgA phosphorylation is removed.

scholarly journals CcpA Causes Repression of the phoPR Promoter through a Novel Transcription Start Site, PA6

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (4) ◽  
pp. 1266-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Puri-Taneja ◽  
Salbi Paul ◽  
Yinghua Chen ◽  
F. Marion Hulett
Keyword(s):  
Response Regulator ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Defined Medium ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Transcription Start

ABSTRACT The Bacillus subtilis PhoPR two-component system is directly responsible for activation or repression of Pho regulon genes in response to phosphate deprivation. The response regulator, PhoP, and the histidine kinase, PhoR, are encoded in a single operon with a complex promoter region that contains five known transcription start sites, which respond to at least two regulatory proteins. We report here the identification of another direct regulator of phoPR transcription, carbon catabolite protein A, CcpA. This regulator functions in the presence of glucose or other readily metabolized carbon sources. The maximum derepression of phoPR expression in a ccpA mutant compared to a wild-type stain was observed under excess phosphate conditions with glucose either throughout growth in a high-phosphate defined medium or in a low-phosphate defined medium during exponential growth, a growth condition when phoPR transcription is low in a wild-type strain due to the absence of autoinduction. Either HPr or Crh were sufficient to cause CcpA dependent repression of the phoPR promoter in vivo. A ptsH1 (Hpr) crh double mutant completely relieves phoPR repression during phosphate starvation but not during phosphate replete growth. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that CcpA repressed phoPR transcription by binding directly to the cre consensus sequence present in the promoter. Primer extension and in vitro transcription studies revealed that the CcpA regulation of phoPR transcription was due to repression of PA6, a previously unidentified promoter positioned immediately upstream of the cre box. EσA was sufficient for transcription of PA6, which was repressed by CcpA in vitro. These studies showed direct repression by CcpA of a newly discovered EσA-responsive phoPR promoter that required either Hpr or Crh in vivo for direct binding to the putative consensus cre sequence located between PA6 and the five downstream promoters characterized previously.

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