scholarly journals Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus SarA Binding Sites

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (15) ◽  
pp. 4410-4417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Sterba ◽  
Samuel G. Mackintosh ◽  
Jon S. Blevins ◽  
Barry K. Hurlburt ◽  
Mark S. Smeltzer

ABSTRACT The staphylococcal accessory regulator locus (sarA) encodes a DNA-binding protein (SarA) that modulates expression of over 100 genes. Whether this occurs via a direct interaction between SarA and cis elements associated with its target genes is unclear, partly because the definitive characteristics of a SarA binding site have not been identified. In this work, electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) were used to identify a SarA binding site(s) upstream of the SarA-regulated gene cna. The results suggest the existence of multiple high-affinity binding sites within the cna promoter region. Using a SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) procedure and purified, recombinant SarA, we also selected DNA targets that contain a high-affinity SarA binding site from a random pool of DNA fragments. These fragments were subsequently cloned and sequenced. Randomly chosen clones were also examined by EMSA. These DNA fragments bound SarA with affinities comparable to those of recognized SarA-regulated genes, including cna, fnbA, and sspA. The composition of SarA-selected DNAs was AT rich, which is consistent with the nucleotide composition of the Staphylococcus aureus genome. Alignment of selected DNAs revealed a 7-bp consensus (ATTTTAT) that was present with no more than one mismatch in 46 of 56 sequenced clones. By using the same criteria, consensus binding sites were also identified upstream of the S. aureus genes spa, fnbA, sspA, agr, hla, and cna. With the exception of cna, which has not been previously examined, this 7-bp motif was within the putative SarA binding site previously associated with each gene.

2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (19) ◽  
pp. 6075-6081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Chauhan ◽  
Jaya Sivaswami Tyagi

ABSTRACT DevR activates the transcription of ∼48 genes in response to hypoxia and other stresses and triggers metabolic downshift and dormancy development in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. tgs1 and Rv3131 encode triacylglycerol synthase and a putative nitroreductase, respectively, and both are members of the DevR regulon. This study aimed to understand how a single putative DevR binding site identified previously could sustain powerful induction of divergent tgs1-Rv3131 genes. DNase I footprinting revealed that phosphorylated DevR in fact binds to two sites symmetrically located at −42.5 and −63.5 bp from transcription start points of both genes. DevR first bound to the high-affinity site, P, and cooperatively recruited another DevR molecule to the secondary low-affinity site, S, to activate tgs1-Rv3131 transcription by ∼210- and ∼110-fold, respectively. The presence of a single P site significantly reduced activation of tgs1 expression and abolished Rv3131 activity, reinforcing the requirement of two binding sites for robust expression in both directions. P site inversion abolished tgs1 but not Rv3131 transcription despite DevR occupancy at both sites. The lack of tgs1 expression is most likely due to disruption of its −35 promoter element rather than inversion of the binding site per se. We conclude that (i) an overlap of a DevR binding site and −35 sequence is indispensable for promoter activation, (ii) DevR interaction with two binding sites is obligatory for synergistic activation of tgs1-Rv3131 promoters, and (iii) DevR interaction with binding sites of different affinities offers scope for temporal and differential expression of target genes.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 4024-4034 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Zweidler-Mckay ◽  
H L Grimes ◽  
M M Flubacher ◽  
P N Tsichlis

The Gfi-1 proto-oncogene encodes a zinc finger protein with six C2H2-type, C-terminal zinc finger motifs and is activated by provirus integration in T-cell lymphoma lines selected for interleukin-2 independence in culture and in primary retrovirus-induced thymomas. Gfi-1 expression in adult animals is restricted to the thymus, spleen, and testis and is enhanced in mitogen-stimulated splenocytes. In this report, we show that Gfi-1 is a 55-kDa nuclear protein that binds DNA in a sequence-specific manner. The Gfi-1 binding site, TAAATCAC(A/T)GCA, was defined via random oligonucleotide selection utilizing a bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase-Gfi-1 fusion protein. Binding to this site was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting. Methylation interference analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays with mutant oliginucleotides defined the relative importance of specific bases at the consensus binding site. Deletion of individual zinc fingers demonstrated that only zinc fingers 3, 4, and 5 are required for sequence-specific DNA binding. Potential Gfi-1 binding sites were detected in a large number of eukaryotic promoter-enhancers, including the enhancers of several proto-oncogenes and cytokine genes and the enhancer of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major immediate-early promoter, which contains two such sites. HCMV major immediate-early-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter constructs, transfected into NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, were repressed by Gfi-1, and the repression was abrogated by mutation of critical residues in the two Gfi-1 binding sites. These results suggest that Gfi-1 may play a role in HCMV biology and may contribute to oncogenesis and T-cell activation by repressing the expression of genes that inhibit these processes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 447-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niamh Harraghy ◽  
Dagmar Homerova ◽  
Mathias Herrmann ◽  
Jan Kormanec

ABSTRACT Mapping the transcription start points of the eap, emp, and vwb promoters revealed a conserved octanucleotide sequence (COS). Deleting this sequence abolished the expression of eap, emp, and vwb. However, electrophoretic mobility shift assays gave no evidence that this sequence was a binding site for SarA or SaeR, known regulators of eap and emp.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Manochehry ◽  
Erin M. McConnell ◽  
Yingfu Li

AbstractHigh-affinity aptamers can be derived de novo by using stringent conditions in SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) experiments or can be engineered post SELEX via dimerization of selected aptamers. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we studied a series of heterodimeric and homodimeric aptamers, constructed from two DNA aptamers with distinct primary sequences and secondary structures, previously isolated for VEGF-165, a homodimeric protein. We investigated four factors envisaged to impact the affinity of a dimeric aptamer to a dimeric protein: (1) length of the linker between two aptamer domains, (2) linking orientation, (3) binding-site compatibility of two component aptamers in a heterodimeric aptamer, and (4) steric acceptability of the two identical aptamers in a homodimeric aptamer. All heterodimeric aptamers for VEGF-165 were found to exhibit monomeric aptamer-like affinity and the lack of affinity enhancement was attributed to binding-site overlap by the constituent aptamers. The best homodimeric aptamer showed 2.8-fold better affinity than its monomeric unit (Kd = 13.6 ± 2.7 nM compared to 37.9 ± 14 nM), however the barrier to further affinity enhancement was ascribed to steric interference of the constituent aptamers. Our findings point to the need to consider the issues of binding-site compatibility and spatial requirement of aptamers for the development of dimeric aptamers capable of bivalent recognition. Thus, determinants highlighted herein should be assessed in future multimerization efforts.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 2914-2921 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Walker ◽  
S C Francesconi ◽  
B K Tye ◽  
S Eisenberg

The autonomously replicating sequence ARS121 was cloned as a 480-base-pair (bp) long DNA fragment that confers on plasmids autonomous replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This fragment contains two OBF1-binding sites (sites I and II) of different affinities, as identified by a gel mobility shift assay and footprint analysis. Nucleotide substitutions (16 to 18 bp) within either of the two sites obliterated detectable in vitro OBF1 binding to the mutagenized site. Linker substitution (6 bp) mutations within the high-affinity site I showed effects similar to those of the complete substitution, whereas DNA mutagenized outside the binding site bound OBF1 normally. We also tested the mitotic stability of centromeric plasmids bearing wild-type and mutagenized copies of ARS121. Both deletion of the sites and the extensive base alterations within either of the two OBF1-binding sites reduced the percentage of plasmid-containing cells in the population from about 88% to 50 to 63% under selective growth and from about 46% to 15 to 20% after 10 to 12 generations of nonselective growth. Furthermore, linker (6 bp) substitutions within site I, the high-affinity binding site, showed similar deficiencies in plasmid stability. In contrast, plasmids containing linker substitutions in sequences contiguous to site I displayed wild-type stability. In addition, plasmid copy number analysis indicated that the instability probably resulted not from nondisjunction during mitosis but rather from inefficient plasmid replication. The results strongly support the notion that the OBF1-binding sites and the OBF1 protein are important for normal ARS function as an origin of replication.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 2914-2921
Author(s):  
S S Walker ◽  
S C Francesconi ◽  
B K Tye ◽  
S Eisenberg

The autonomously replicating sequence ARS121 was cloned as a 480-base-pair (bp) long DNA fragment that confers on plasmids autonomous replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This fragment contains two OBF1-binding sites (sites I and II) of different affinities, as identified by a gel mobility shift assay and footprint analysis. Nucleotide substitutions (16 to 18 bp) within either of the two sites obliterated detectable in vitro OBF1 binding to the mutagenized site. Linker substitution (6 bp) mutations within the high-affinity site I showed effects similar to those of the complete substitution, whereas DNA mutagenized outside the binding site bound OBF1 normally. We also tested the mitotic stability of centromeric plasmids bearing wild-type and mutagenized copies of ARS121. Both deletion of the sites and the extensive base alterations within either of the two OBF1-binding sites reduced the percentage of plasmid-containing cells in the population from about 88% to 50 to 63% under selective growth and from about 46% to 15 to 20% after 10 to 12 generations of nonselective growth. Furthermore, linker (6 bp) substitutions within site I, the high-affinity binding site, showed similar deficiencies in plasmid stability. In contrast, plasmids containing linker substitutions in sequences contiguous to site I displayed wild-type stability. In addition, plasmid copy number analysis indicated that the instability probably resulted not from nondisjunction during mitosis but rather from inefficient plasmid replication. The results strongly support the notion that the OBF1-binding sites and the OBF1 protein are important for normal ARS function as an origin of replication.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (7) ◽  
pp. 2496-2504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po-Chi Soo ◽  
Yu-Tze Horng ◽  
Jun-Rong Wei ◽  
Jwu-Ching Shu ◽  
Chia-Chen Lu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Serratia marcescens cells swarm at 30°C but not at 37°C, and the underlying mechanism is not characterized. Our previous studies had shown that a temperature upshift from 30 to 37°C reduced the expression levels of flhDCSm and hagSm in S. marcescens CH-1. Mutation in rssA or rssB, cognate genes that comprise a two-component system, also resulted in precocious swarming phenotypes at 37°C. To further characterize the underlying mechanism, in the present study, we report that expression of flhDCSm and synthesis of flagella are significantly increased in the rssA mutant strain at 37°C. Primer extension analysis for determination of the transcriptional start site(s) of flhDCSm revealed two transcriptional start sites, P1 and P2, in S. marcescens CH-1. Characterization of the phosphorylated RssB (RssB∼P) binding site by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed direct interaction of RssB∼P, but not unphosphorylated RssB [RssB(D51E)], with the P2 promoter region. A DNase I footprinting assay using a capillary electrophoresis approach further determined that the RssB∼P binding site is located between base pair positions −341 and −364 from the translation start codon ATG in the flhDCSm promoter region. The binding site overlaps with the P2 “−35” promoter region. A modified chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was subsequently performed to confirm that RssB∼P binds to the flhDCSm promoter region in vivo. In conclusion, our results indicated that activated RssA-RssB signaling directly inhibits flhDCSm promoter activity at 37°C. This inhibitory effect was comparatively alleviated at 30°C. This finding might explain, at least in part, the phenomenon of inhibition of S. marcescens swarming at 37°C.


1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1651-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limin Liu ◽  
Douglas Leaman ◽  
Michel Villalta ◽  
R. Michael Roberts

Abstract CG is required for maintenance of the corpus luteum during pregnancy in higher primates. As CG is a heterodimeric molecule, some form of coordinated control must be maintained over the transcription of its two subunit genes. We recently found that expression of human CG β-subunit (hCGβ) in JAr human choriocarcinoma cells was almost completely silenced by the embryonic transcription factor Oct-3/4, which bound to a unique ACAATAATCA octameric sequence in the hCGβ gene promoter. Here we report that Oct-3/4 is also a potent inhibitor of hCG α-subunit (hCGα) expression in JAr cells. Oct-3/4 reduced human GH reporter expression from the −170 hCGα promoter in either the presence or absence of cAMP by about 70% in transient cotransfection assays, but had no effect on expression from either the −148 hCGα or the −99 hCGα promoter. Unexpectedly, no Oct-3/4-binding site was identified within the −170 to −148 region of the hCGα promoter, although one was found around position −115 by both methylation interference footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Site-directed mutagenesis of this binding site destroyed the affinity of the promoter for Oct-3/4, but did not affect repression of the promoter. Therefore, inhibition of hCGα gene transcription by Oct-3/4 appears not to involve direct binding of this factor to the site responsible for silencing. When stably transfected into JAr cells, Oct-3/4 reduced the amounts of both endogenous hCGα mRNA and protein by 70–80%. Oct-3/4 is therefore capable of silencing both hCGα and hCGβ gene expression. We suggest that as the trophoblast begins to form, reduction of Oct-3/4 expression permits the coordinated onset of transcription from the hCGα and hCGβ genes.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2653-2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Kardassis ◽  
M Hadzopoulou-Cladaras ◽  
D P Ramji ◽  
R Cortese ◽  
V I Zannis ◽  
...  

The promoter elements important for intestinal and hepatic transcription of the human apoB gene have been localized downstream of nucleotide -150. Footprinting analysis using hepatic nuclear extracts identified four protected regions, -124 to -100, -97 to -93, -86 to -33, and +33 to +52. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that multiple factors interact with the apoB sequence -86 to -33, while the region -88 to -61 binds a single nuclear factor. Methylation interference analysis and nucleotide substitution mutagenesis identified the binding site of the factor between residues -78 and -68. Binding competition experiments indicate that this factor recognizes the regulatory elements of other liver-specific genes.


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.


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