Transcriptional Control of the Iron-ResponsivefxbA Gene by the Mycobacterial Regulator IdeR

ABSTRACT Exochelin is the primary extracellular siderophore ofMycobacterium smegmatis, and the iron-regulatedfxbA gene encodes a putative formyltransferase, an essential enzyme in the exochelin biosynthetic pathway (E. H. Fiss, Y. Yu, and W. R. Jacobs, Jr., Mol. Microbiol. 14:557–569, 1994). We investigated the regulation of fxbA by the mycobacterial IdeR, a homolog of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae iron regulator DtxR (M. P. Schmitt, M. Predich, L. Doukhan, I. Smith, and R. K. Holmes, Infect. Immun. 63:4284–4289, 1995). Gel mobility shift experiments showed that IdeR binds to the fxbA regulatory region in the presence of divalent metals. DNase I footprinting assays indicated that IdeR binding protects a 28-bp region containing a palindromic sequence of the fxbA promoter that was identified in primer extension assays. fxbA regulation was measured in M. smegmatis wild-type and ideR mutant strains containing fxbA promoter-lacZ fusions. These experiments confirmed that fxbA expression is negatively regulated by iron and showed that inactivation of ideRresults in iron-independent expression of fxbA. However, the levels of its expression in the ideR mutant were approximately 50% lower than those in the wild-type strain under iron limitation, indicating an undefined positive role of IdeR in the regulation of fxbA.

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Transcriptome Changes in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 during Medium-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoate Synthesis Induced by Nitrogen Limitation

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22010152 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 152

Author(s):

Dorota Dabrowska ◽

Justyna Mozejko-Ciesielska ◽

Tomasz Pokój ◽

Slawomir Ciesielski

Keyword(s):

Chain Length ◽

Nitrogen Limitation ◽

Stringent Response ◽

Wild Type ◽

Pseudomonas Putida Kt2440 ◽

Medium Chain ◽

Environmental Stimuli ◽

Medium Chain Length ◽

In The Wild

Pseudomonas putida’s versatility and metabolic flexibility make it an ideal biotechnological platform for producing valuable chemicals, such as medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs), which are considered the next generation bioplastics. This bacterium responds to environmental stimuli by rearranging its metabolism to improve its fitness and increase its chances of survival in harsh environments. Mcl-PHAs play an important role in central metabolism, serving as a reservoir of carbon and energy. Due to the complexity of mcl-PHAs’ metabolism, the manner in which P. putida changes its transcriptome to favor mcl-PHA synthesis in response to environmental stimuli remains unclear. Therefore, our objective was to investigate how the P. putida KT2440 wild type and mutants adjust their transcriptomes to synthesize mcl-PHAs in response to nitrogen limitation when supplied with sodium gluconate as an external carbon source. We found that, under nitrogen limitation, mcl-PHA accumulation is significantly lower in the mutant deficient in the stringent response than in the wild type or the rpoN mutant. Transcriptome analysis revealed that, under N-limiting conditions, 24 genes were downregulated and 21 were upregulated that were common to all three strains. Additionally, potential regulators of these genes were identified: the global anaerobic regulator (Anr, consisting of FnrA, Fnrb, and FnrC), NorR, NasT, the sigma54-dependent transcriptional regulator, and the dual component NtrB/NtrC regulator all appear to play important roles in transcriptome rearrangement under N-limiting conditions. The role of these regulators in mcl-PHA synthesis is discussed.

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Influence of homologous phasins (PhaP) on PHA accumulation and regulation of their expression by the transcriptional repressor PhaR in Ralstonia eutropha H16

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.27613-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 151 (3) ◽

pp. 825-833 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Markus Pötter ◽

Helena Müller ◽

Alexander Steinbüchel

Keyword(s):

Ralstonia Eutropha ◽

Current Model ◽

Transcriptional Repressor ◽

Start Codon ◽

Wild Type ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Intergenic Regions ◽

Gel Mobility Shift ◽

Dnasei Footprinting ◽

Similar Growth

Phasins play an important role in the formation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [poly(3HB)] granules and affect their size. Recently, three homologues of the phasin protein PhaP1 were identified in Ralstonia eutropha strain H16. The functions of PhaP2, PhaP3 and PhaP4 were examined by analysis of R. eutropha H16 deletion strains (ΔphaP1, ΔphaP2, ΔphaP3, ΔphaP4, ΔphaP12, ΔphaP123 and ΔphaP1234). When cells were grown under conditions permissive for poly(3HB) accumulation, the wild-type strain and all single-phasin negative mutants (ΔphaP2, ΔphaP3 and ΔphaP4), with the exception of ΔphaP1, showed similar growth and poly(3HB) accumulation behaviour, and also the size and number of the granules were identical. The single ΔphaP1 mutant and the ΔphaP12, ΔphaP123 and ΔphaP1234 mutants showed an almost identical growth behaviour; however, they accumulated poly(3HB) at a significantly lower level than wild-type and the single ΔphaP2, ΔphaP3 or ΔphaP4 mutants. Gel-mobility-shift assays and DNaseI footprinting experiments demonstrated the capability of the transcriptional repressor PhaR to bind to a DNA region +36 to +46 bp downstream of the phaP3 start codon. The protected sequence exhibited high similarity to the binding sites of PhaR upstream of phaP1, which were identified recently. In contrast, PhaR did not bind to the upstream or intergenic regions of phaP2 and phaP4, thus indicating that the expression of these two phasins is regulated in a different way. Our current model for the regulation of phasins in R. eutropha strain H16 was extended and confirmed.

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The clpB gene of Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003: transcriptional analysis and first insights into stress induction

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.28176-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 151 (9) ◽

pp. 2861-2872 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Marco Ventura ◽

John G. Kenny ◽

Ziding Zhang ◽

Gerald F. Fitzgerald ◽

Douwe van Sinderen

Keyword(s):

3D Structure ◽

Binding Mode ◽

Dna Interaction ◽

Transcriptional Analysis ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Bifidobacterium Breve ◽

Gel Mobility Shift ◽

Slot Blot Analysis

The so-called clp genes, which encode components of the Clp proteolytic complex, are widespread among bacteria. The Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 genome contains a clpB gene with significant homology to predicted clpB genes from other members of the Actinobacteridae group. The heat- and osmotic-inducibility of the B. breve UCC 2003 clpB homologue was verified by slot-blot analysis, while Northern blot and primer extension analyses showed that the clpB gene is transcribed as a monocistronic unit with a single promoter. The role of a hspR homologue, known to control the regulation of clpB and dnaK gene expression in other high G+C content bacteria was investigated by gel mobility shift assays. Moreover the predicted 3D structure of HspR provides further insight into the binding mode of this protein to the clpB promoter region, and highlights the key amino acid residues believed to be involved in the protein–DNA interaction.

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Positive and negative transcriptional elements of the human type IV collagenase gene

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.10.12.6524-6532.1990 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 6524-6532

Author(s):

S M Frisch ◽

J H Morisaki

Keyword(s):

Core Promoter ◽

Type Iv Collagenase ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Enhancer Element ◽

Type Iv ◽

Dnase I Footprinting ◽

Gel Mobility Shift ◽

Transcriptional Elements ◽

Mcf 7

Proteolysis by type IV collagenase (T4) has been implicated in the process of tumor metastasis. The T4 gene is expressed in fibroblasts, but not in normal epithelial cells, and its expression is specifically repressed by the E1A oncogene of adenovirus. We present an investigation of the transcriptional elements responsible for basal, E1A-repressible, and tissue-specific expression. 5'-Deletion analysis, DNase I footprinting, and gel mobility shift assays revealed a strong, E1A-repressible enhancer element, r2, located about 1,650 bp upstream of the start site. This enhancer bound a protein with binding specificity very similar to that of the transcription factor AP-2. A potent silencer sequence was found 2 to 5 bp downstream of this enhancer. The silencer repressed transcription from either r2 or AP-1 enhancer elements and in the context of either type IV collagenase or thymidine kinase (tk) gene core promoters; enhancerless transcription from the latter core promoter was also repressed. Comprising the silencer were two contiguous, autonomously functioning silencer elements. Negative regulation of T4 transcription by at least two factors was demonstrated. mcf-7 proteins specifically binding both elements were detected by gel mobility shift assays; a protein of approximately 185 kDa that bound to one of these elements was detected by DNA-protein cross-linking. The silencer repressed transcription, in an r2 enhancer-tk promoter context, much more efficiently in T4-nonproducing cells (mcf-7 or HeLa) than in T4-producing cells (HT1080), suggesting that cell type-specific silencing may contribute to the regulation of this gene.

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Multiple silencer elements are involved in regulating the chicken vimentin gene

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.14.2.934-943.1994 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 934-943

Author(s):

R J Garzon ◽

Z E Zehner

Keyword(s):

Intermediate Filament Protein ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Cis Acting ◽

Dnase I Footprinting ◽

Silencer Elements ◽

Gel Mobility Shift ◽

Filament Protein ◽

Silencer Element ◽

Vimentin Gene

Vimentin, a member of the intermediate filament protein family, exhibits tissue- as well as development-specific expression. Transcription factors that are involved in expression of the chicken vimentin gene have been described and include a cis-acting silencer element (SE3) that is involved in the down-regulation of this gene (F. X. Farrell, C. M. Sax, and Z. E. Zehner, Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:2349-2358, 1990). In this study, we report the identification of two additional silencer elements (SE1 and SE2). We show by transfection analysis that all three silencer elements are functionally active and that optimal silencing occurs when multiple (at least two) silencer elements are present. In addition, the previously identified SE3 can be divided into three subregions, each of which is moderately active alone. By gel mobility shift assays, all three silencer elements plus SE3 subregions bind a protein which by Southwestern (DNA-protein) blot analysis is identical in molecular mass (approximately 95 kDa). DNase I footprinting experiments indicate that this protein binds to purine-rich sites. Therefore, multiple elements appear to be involved in the negative regulation of the chicken vimentin gene, which may be important in the regulation of other genes as well.

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Transcription from a murine T-cell receptor V beta promoter depends on a conserved decamer motif similar to the cyclic AMP response element

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.9.11.4835-4845.1989 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 4835-4845

Author(s):

S J Anderson ◽

S Miyake ◽

D Y Loh

Keyword(s):

Cyclic Amp ◽

Regulatory Region ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

Transcription Activator ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Response Element ◽

Cyclic Amp Response Element ◽

Gel Mobility Shift

We identified a regulatory region of the murine V beta promoter by both in vivo and in vitro analyses. The results of transient transfection assays indicated that the dominant transcription-activating element within the V beta 8.3 promoter is the palindromic motif identified previously as the conserved V beta decamer. Elimination of this element, by linear deletion or specific mutation, reduced transcriptional activity from this promoter by 10-fold. DNase I footprinting, gel mobility shift, and methylation interference assays confirmed that the palindrome acts as the binding site of a specific nuclear factor. In particular, the V beta promoter motif functioned in vitro as a high-affinity site for a previously characterized transcription activator, ATF. A consensus cyclic AMP response element (CRE) but not a consensus AP-1 site, can substitute for the decamer in vivo. These data suggest that cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (ATF/CREB) or related proteins activate V beta transcription.

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Cytosolic Phospholipase A2α–deficient Mice Are Resistant to Collagen-induced Arthritis

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.20030016 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 197 (10) ◽

pp. 1297-1302 ◽

Cited By ~ 105

Author(s):

Martin Hegen ◽

Linhong Sun ◽

Naonori Uozumi ◽

Kazuhiko Kume ◽

Mary E. Goad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critical Role ◽

Wild Type ◽

Collagen Induced Arthritis ◽

Cytosolic Phospholipase ◽

Severity Scores ◽

In The Wild ◽

Cytosolic Phospholipase A2α ◽

Antibody Levels ◽

Deficient Mice

Pathogenic mechanisms relevant to rheumatoid arthritis occur in the mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) releases arachidonic acid from cell membranes to initiate the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These inflammatory mediators have been implicated in the development of CIA. To test the hypothesis that cPLA2α plays a key role in the development of CIA, we backcrossed cPLA2α-deficient mice on the DBA/1LacJ background that is susceptible to CIA. The disease severity scores and the incidence of disease were markedly reduced in cPLA2α-deficient mice compared with wild-type littermates. At completion of the study, >90% of the wild-type mice had developed disease whereas none of the cPLA2α-deficient mice had more than one digit inflamed. Furthermore, visual disease scores correlated with severity of disease determined histologically. Pannus formation, articular fibrillation, and ankylosis were all dramatically reduced in the cPLA2α-deficient mice. Although the disease scores differed significantly between cPLA2α mutant and wild-type mice, anti-collagen antibody levels were similar in the wild-type mice and mutant littermates. These data demonstrate the critical role of cPLA2α in the pathogenesis of CIA.

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The Arabidopsis HOP2 Gene Has a Role in Preventing illegitimate Exchanges between Nonhomologous Chromosomes

10.1101/2021.08.04.455073 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

YIsell Farahani-Tafreshi ◽

Chun Wei ◽

Peilu Gan ◽

Jenya Daradur ◽

C. Daniel Riggs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Active Role ◽

Crossing Over ◽

Wild Type ◽

Positive Role ◽

Homologous Chromosomes ◽

Chromosome Synapsis ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Nonhomologous Chromosome ◽

Chromosome Exchanges

Meiotic homologous chromosomes pair up and undergo crossing over. In many eukaryotes both intimate pairing and crossing over require the induction of double stranded breaks (DSBs) and subsequent repair via Homologous Recombination (HR). In these organisms, two key proteins are the recombinases RAD51 and DMC1. Recombinase-modulators HOP2 and MND1 have been identified as proteins that assist RAD51 and DMC1 and are needed to promote stabilized pairing. We have probed the nature of the genetic lesions seen in hop2 mutants and looked at the role of HOP2 in the fidelity of genetic exchanges. Using γH2AX as a marker for unrepaired DSBs we found that hop2-1 and mnd1 mutants have different appearance/disappearance for DSBs than wild type, but all DSBs are repaired by mid-late pachytene. Therefore, the bridges and fragments seen from metaphase I onward are due to mis-repaired DSBs, not unrepaired ones. Studying Arabidopsis haploid meiocytes we found that wild type haploids produced the expected five univalents, but hop2-1 haploids suffered many illegitimate exchanges that were stable enough to produce bridged chromosomes during segregation. Our results suggest that HOP2 has a significant active role in preventing nonhomologous associations. We also found evidence that HOP2 plays a role in preventing illegitimate exchanges during repair of radiation-induced DSBs in rapidly dividing petal cells. Thus, HOP2 plays both a positive role in promoting homologous chromosome synapsis and a separable role in preventing nonhomologous chromosome exchanges. Possible mechanisms for this second important role are discussed.

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The development of the sensory neuron pattern in the antennal disc of wild-type and mutant (lz3, ssa) Drosophila melanogaster

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.112.4.1063 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 112 (4) ◽

pp. 1063-1075

Author(s):

M.C. Lienhard ◽

R.F. Stocker

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Sensory Neuron ◽

Antennal Segment ◽

Wild Type ◽

Homeotic Mutant ◽

In The Wild ◽

The Brain ◽

Antennal Disc ◽

Antennal Nerve

The development of the sensory neuron pattern in the antennal disc of Drosophila melanogaster was studied with a neuron-specific monoclonal antibody (22C10). In the wild type, the earliest neurons become visible 3 h after pupariation, much later than in other imaginal discs. They lie in the center of the disc and correspond to the neurons of the adult aristal sensillum. Their axons join the larval antennal nerve and seem to establish the first connection towards the brain. Later on, three clusters of neurons appear in the periphery of the disc. Two of them most likely give rise to the Johnston's organ in the second antennal segment. Neurons of the olfactory third antennal segment are formed only after eversion of the antennal disc (clusters t1-t3). The adult pattern of antennal neurons is established at about 27% of metamorphosis. In the mutant lozenge3 (lz3), which lacks basiconic antennal sensilla, cluster t3 fails to develop. This indicates that, in the wild type, a homogeneous group of basiconic sensilla is formed by cluster t3. The possible role of the lozenge gene in sensillar determination is discussed. The homeotic mutant spineless-aristapedia (ssa) transforms the arista into a leg-like tarsus. Unlike leg discs, neurons are missing in the larval antennal disc of ssa. However, the first neurons differentiate earlier than in normal antennal discs. Despite these changes, the pattern of afferents in the ectopic tarsus appears leg specific, whereas in the non-transformed antennal segments a normal antennal pattern is formed. This suggests that neither larval leg neurons nor early aristal neurons are essential for the outgrowth of subsequent afferents.

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Pax6 regulates specification of ventral neurone subtypes in the hindbrain by establishing progenitor domains

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.129.6.1327 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 129 (6) ◽

pp. 1327-1338 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Masanori Takahashi ◽

Noriko Osumi

Keyword(s):

Expression Patterns ◽

Domain Formation ◽

Wild Type ◽

Whole Embryo Culture ◽

Neuronal Markers ◽

Signalling Molecules ◽

Neuronal Progenitors ◽

In The Wild ◽

Mutant Rat

Recent studies have shown that generation of different kinds of neurones is controlled by combinatorial actions of homeodomain (HD) proteins expressed in the neuronal progenitors. Pax6 is a HD protein that has previously been shown to be involved in the differentiation of the hindbrain somatic (SM) motoneurones and V1 interneurones in the hindbrain and/or spinal cord. To investigate in greater depth the role of Pax6 in generation of the ventral neurones, we first examined the expression patterns of HD protein genes and subtype-specific neuronal markers in the hindbrain of the Pax6 homozygous mutant rat. We found that Islet2 (SM neurone marker) and En1 (V1 interneurone marker) were transiently expressed in a small number of cells, indicating that Pax6 is not directly required for specification of these neurones. We also observed that domains of all other HD protein genes (Nkx2.2, Nkx6.1, Irx3, Dbx2 and Dbx1) were shifted and their boundaries became blurred. Thus, Pax6 is required for establishment of the progenitor domains of the ventral neurones. Next, we performed Pax6 overexpression experiments by electroporating rat embryos in whole embryo culture. Pax6 overexpression in the wild type decreased expression of Nkx2.2, but ectopically increased expression of Irx3, Dbx1 and Dbx2. Moreover, electroporation of Pax6 into the Pax6 mutant hindbrain rescued the development of Islet2-positive and En1-positive neurones. To know reasons for perturbed progenitor domain formation in Pax6 mutant, we examined expression patterns of Shh signalling molecules and states of cell death and cell proliferation. Shh was similarly expressed in the floor plate of the mutant hindbrain, while the expressions of Ptc1, Gli1 and Gli2 were altered only in the progenitor domains for the motoneurones. The position and number of TUNEL-positive cells were unchanged in the Pax6 mutant. Although the proportion of cells that were BrdU-positive slightly increased in the mutant, there was no relationship with specific progenitor domains. Taken together, we conclude that Pax6 regulates specification of the ventral neurone subtypes by establishing the correct progenitor domains.

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