Regulation of cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanisms through transcriptional induction of high-affinity Ci-transport systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 698-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona J Woodger ◽  
Murray R Badger ◽  
G Dean Price

Approximately 50% of global CO2-based productivity is now attributed to the activity of phytoplankton, including ocean-dwelling cyanobacteria. In response to inherent restrictions on the rate of CO2 supply in the aquatic environment, cyanobacteria have evolved a very efficient means of capturing inorganic carbon (Ci), as either CO2 or HCO3–. for photosynthetic carbon fixation. This capturing mechanism, known as a CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM), involves the operation of active CO2 and HCO3– transporters and results in the concentration of CO2 around RuBisCO, in a unique microcompartment called the carboxysome. The CCM exhibits two basic physiological states: a constitutive, low-affinity state; and a high-affinity state, which is induced in response to Ci limitation. Many of the genetic components of the CCM, including genes encoding Ci transporters, have been identified. It is apparent that the expression of genes encoding the inducible, high-affinity Ci transporters is particularly sensitive to Ci availability, and we are now interested in defining how cyanobacterial cells sense and respond to Ci limitation at the transcriptional level. Current theories include direct sensing of external Ci; sensing of internal Ci-pool fluctuations; and detection of changes in photorespiratory intermediates, carbon metabolites, or redox potential. At present, there is no consensual view. We have investigated the physiological and transcriptional responses of CCM mutants and wildtype strains to pharmacological treatments and various light, O2, and Ci regimes. Our data suggest that perception of Ci limitation by a cyanobacterial cell is either directly or indirectly related to the size of the internal Ci pool within the cell, in an oxygen-dependent manner.Key words: CO2-concentrating mechanisms, CO2 sensing, Ci transporters, Synechococcus PCC7942.

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (4) ◽  
pp. 1335-1343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Gebhard ◽  
Gregory M. Cook

ABSTRACT The uptake of phosphate into the cell via high-affinity, phosphate-specific transport systems has been studied with several species of mycobacteria. All of these species have been shown to contain several copies of such transport systems, which are synthesized in response to phosphate limitation. However, the mechanisms leading to the expression of the genes encoding these transporters have not been studied. This study reports on the investigation of the regulation of the pstSCAB and the phnDCE operons of Mycobacterium smegmatis. The phn locus contains an additional gene, phnF, encoding a GntR-like transcriptional regulator. Expression analyses of a phnF deletion mutant demonstrated that PhnF acts as a repressor of the phnDCE operon but does not affect the expression of pstSCAB. The deletion of pstS, which is thought to cause the constitutive expression of genes regulated by the two-component system SenX3-RegX3, led to the constitutive expression of the transcriptional fusions pstS-lacZ, phnD-lacZ, and phnF-lacZ, suggesting that phnDCE and phnF are conceivably new members of the SenX3-RegX3 regulon of M. smegmatis. Two presumptive binding sites for PhnF in the intergenic region between phnD and phnF were identified and shown to be required for the repression of phnD and phnF, respectively. We propose a model in which the transcription of pstSCAB is controlled by the two-component SenX3-RegX3 system, while phnDCE and phnF are subject to dual control by SenX3-RegX3 and PhnF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxin Fan ◽  
Jiayu Peng ◽  
Jiacheng Wu ◽  
Ping Zhou ◽  
Ruijie He ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Flavonoid biosynthesis in plants is primarily regulated at the transcriptional level by transcription factors modulating the expression of genes encoding enzymes in the flavonoid pathway. One of the most studied transcription factor complexes involved in this regulation consists of a MYB, bHLH and WD40. However, in Chinese Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta L. var. chinensis), a popular monocot bulb flower, the regulatory mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis remains unclear. Results In this work, genes related to the regulatory complex, NtbHLH1 and a R2R3-MYB NtMYB6, were cloned from Chinese Narcissus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that NtbHLH1 belongs to the JAF13 clade of bHLH IIIf subgroup, while NtMYB6 was highly homologous to positive regulators of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis. Both NtbHLH1 and NtMYB6 have highest expression levels in basal plates of Narcissus, where there is an accumulation of proanthocyanidin. Ectopic over expression of NtbHLH1 in tobacco resulted in an increase in anthocyanin accumulation in flowers, and an up-regulation of expression of the endogenous tobacco bHLH AN1 and flavonoid biosynthesis genes. In contrast, the expression level of LAR gene was significantly increased in NtMYB6-transgenic tobacco. Dual luciferase assays showed that co-infiltration of NtbHLH1 and NtMYB6 significantly activated the promoter of Chinese Narcissus DFR gene. Furthermore, a yeast two-hybrid assay confirmed that NtbHLH1 interacts with NtMYB6. Conclusions Our results suggest that NtbHLH1 may function as a regulatory partner by interacting directly with NtMYB6 to enhance proanthocyanidin accumulation in Chinese Narcissus.


2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1104-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
DONGRYEOUL BAE ◽  
MICHAEL R. CROWLEY ◽  
CHINLING WANG

The contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products with Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern for the food industry. For a better understanding of the adaptation and survival ability of L. monocytogenes grown on turkey deli meat, the transcriptome of L. monocytogenes strain F2365 was determined with a microarray. Microarray data were validated with a quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR assay. Based on the microarray data, 39 and 45 genes from L. monocytogenes were transcriptionally upregulated and down-regulated, respectively. The genes regulated at the transcriptional level were mainly involved in energy metabolism, fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism, biosynthesis of proteins, transport and binding proteins, DNA metabolism, cellular processes, and regulatory functions. No significant change was noted for the expression of genes encoding known virulence factors such as sigB, prfA, inlA, inlB, plcA, plcB, and hly. These results suggest that L. monocytogenes grown on RTE deli meat changes its transcription of proteins involved in its metabolic pathways to obtain an energy source or to adapt to environmental change without increasing the expression of virulence factors. The global transcriptome profiles provide a better understanding of the growth or adaptation of L. monocytogenes in RTE meat products.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (23) ◽  
pp. 6815-6818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Petit ◽  
Jasper A. Diderich ◽  
Arthur L. Kruckeberg ◽  
Carlos Gancedo ◽  
Karel Van Dam

ABSTRACT Glucose transport kinetics and mRNA levels of different glucose transporters were determined in Saccharomyces cerevisiaestrains expressing different sugar kinases. During exponential growth on glucose, a hxk2 null strain exhibited high-affinity hexose transport associated with an elevated transcription of the genesHXT2 and HXT7, encoding high-affinity transporters, and a diminished expression of the HXT1 andHXT3 genes, encoding low-affinity transporters. Deletion ofHXT7 revealed that the high-affinity component is mostly due to HXT7; however, a previously unidentified very-high-affinity component (Km = 0.19 mM) appeared to be due to other factors. Expression of genes encoding hexokinases from Schizosaccharomyces pombe orYarrowia lipolytica in a hxk1 hxk2 glk1 strain prevented derepression of the high-affinity transport system at high concentrations of glucose.


2015 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley M. Payne ◽  
Alexandra R. Mey ◽  
Elizabeth E. Wyckoff

SUMMARYIron is an essential element forVibriospp., but the acquisition of iron is complicated by its tendency to form insoluble ferric complexes in nature and its association with high-affinity iron-binding proteins in the host. Vibrios occupy a variety of different niches, and each of these niches presents particular challenges for acquiring sufficient iron.Vibriospecies have evolved a wide array of iron transport systems that allow the bacteria to compete for this essential element in each of its habitats. These systems include the secretion and uptake of high-affinity iron-binding compounds (siderophores) as well as transport systems for iron bound to host complexes. Transporters for ferric and ferrous iron not complexed to siderophores are also common toVibriospecies. Some of the genes encoding these systems show evidence of horizontal transmission, and the ability to acquire and incorporate additional iron transport systems may have allowedVibriospecies to more rapidly adapt to new environmental niches. While too little iron prevents growth of the bacteria, too much can be lethal. The appropriate balance is maintained in vibrios through complex regulatory networks involving transcriptional repressors and activators and small RNAs (sRNAs) that act posttranscriptionally. Examination of the number and variety of iron transport systems found inVibriospp. offers insights into how this group of bacteria has adapted to such a wide range of habitats.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1769
Author(s):  
Andreia Garrido ◽  
Ric C. H. De Vos ◽  
Artur Conde ◽  
Ana Cunha

Viticulture practices that change the light distribution in the grapevine canopy can interfere with several physiological mechanisms, such as grape berry photosynthesis and other metabolic pathways, and consequently impact the berry biochemical composition, which is key to the final wine quality. We previously showed that the photosynthetic activity of exocarp and seed tissues from a white cultivar (Alvarinho) was in fact responsive to the light microclimate in the canopy (low and high light, LL and HL, respectively), and that these different light microclimates also led to distinct metabolite profiles, suggesting a berry tissue-specific interlink between photosynthesis and metabolism. In the present work, we analyzed the transcript levels of key genes in exocarps and seed integuments of berries from the same cultivar collected from HL and LL microclimates at three developmental stages, using real-time qPCR. In exocarp, the expression levels of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism (VvSuSy1), phenylpropanoid (VvPAL1), stilbenoid (VvSTS1), and flavan-3-ol synthesis (VvDFR, VvLAR2, and VvANR) were highest at the green stage. In seeds, the expression of several genes associated with both phenylpropanoid (VvCHS1 and VvCHS3) and flavan-3-ol synthesis (VvDFR and VvLAR2) showed a peak at the véraison stage, whereas that of RuBisCO was maintained up to the mature stage. Overall, the HL microclimate, compared to that of LL, resulted in a higher expression of genes encoding elements associated with both photosynthesis (VvChlSyn and VvRuBisCO), carbohydrate metabolism (VvSPS1), and photoprotection (carotenoid pathways genes) in both tissues. HL also induced the expression of the VvFLS1 gene, which was translated into a higher activity of the FLS enzyme producing flavonol-type flavonoids, whereas the expression of several other flavonoid pathway genes (e.g., VvCHS3, VvSTS1, VvDFR, and VvLDOX) was reduced, suggesting a specific role of flavonols in photoprotection of berries growing in the HL microclimate. This work suggests a possible link at the transcriptional level between berry photosynthesis and pathways of primary and secondary metabolism, and provides relevant information for improving the management of the light microenvironment at canopy level of the grapes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 2697-2704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna F. Konings ◽  
Lois W. Martin ◽  
Katrina J. Sharples ◽  
Louise F. Roddam ◽  
Roger Latham ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosachronically infects the lungs of more than 80% of adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and is a major contributor to the progression of disease pathology.P. aeruginosarequires iron for growth and has multiple iron uptake systems that have been studied in bacteria grown in laboratory culture. The purpose of this research was to determine which of these are active during infection in CF. RNA was extracted from 149 sputum samples obtained from 23 CF patients. Reverse transcription–quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the expression ofP. aeruginosagenes encoding transport systems for the siderophores pyoverdine and pyochelin, for heme, and for ferrous ions. Expression ofP. aeruginosagenes could be quantified in 89% of the sputum samples. Expression of genes associated with siderophore-mediated iron uptake was detected in most samples but was at low levels in some samples, indicating that other iron uptake mechanisms are active. Expression of genes encoding heme transport systems was also detected in most samples, indicating that heme uptake occurs during infection in CF.feoBexpression was detected in all sputum samples, implying an important role for ferrous ion uptake byP. aeruginosain CF. Our data show that multipleP. aeruginosairon uptake mechanisms are active in chronic CF infection and that RT-qPCR of RNA extracted from sputum provides a powerful tool for investigating bacterial physiology during infection in CF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Gamarra ◽  
Aida de la Cruz ◽  
Maite Blanco-Urrejola ◽  
Jimena Baleriola

Dendrites and axons can extend dozens to hundreds of centimeters away from the cell body so that a single neuron can sense and respond to thousands of stimuli. Thus, for an accurate function of dendrites and axons the neuronal proteome needs to be asymmetrically distributed within neurons. Protein asymmetry can be achieved by the transport of the protein itself or the transport of the mRNA that is then translated at target sites in neuronal processes. The latter transport mechanism implies local translation of localized mRNAs. The role of local translation in nervous system (NS) development and maintenance is well established, but recently there is growing evidence that this mechanism and its deregulation are also relevant in NS pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases. For instance, upon pathological signals disease-related proteins can be locally synthesized in dendrites and axons. Locally synthesized proteins can exert their effects at or close to the site of translation, or they can be delivered to distal compartments like the nucleus and induce transcriptional responses that lead to neurodegeneration, nerve regeneration and other cell-wide responses. Relevant key players in the process of local protein synthesis are RNA binding proteins (RBPs), responsible for mRNA transport to neurites. Several neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or spinal motor atrophy, are characterized by mutations in genes encoding for RBPs and consequently mRNA localization and local translation are impaired. In other diseases changes in the local mRNA repertoire and altered local protein synthesis have been reported. In this review, we will discuss how deregulation of localized translation at different levels can contribute to the development and progression of nervous system pathologies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giang Ngo ◽  
Melis Girbas ◽  
Hannah Schätzle ◽  
Andreas Hammer ◽  
Schara Safarian ◽  
...  

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria acts as an initial diffusion barrier that shields the cell from the environment. It contains many membrane-embedded proteins required for functionality of this system. These proteins serve as solute and lipid transporters or as machines for membrane insertion or secretion of proteins. The genome of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 codes for two outer membrane transporters termed TpsB1 and TpsB2. Those belong to the family of the two-partner secretion system proteins which are characteristic for pathogenic bacteria. Because pathogenicity of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 has not been reported, the function of these two cyanobacterial TpsB proteins was analyzed. TpsB1 is encoded by alr1659, while TpsB2 is encoded by all5116. The latter is part of a genomic region containing 11 genes encoding TpsA-like proteins. However, tpsB2 is transcribed independently of a tpsA gene-cluster. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the presence of at least 22 genes in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 putatively coding for substrates of the TpsB-system suggesting a rather global function of the two TpsB proteins. Insertion of a plasmid into each of the two genes, respectively, resulted in phenotypes of altered outer membrane integrity and antibiotic resistance. In addition, the expression of genes coding for the Clp and Deg proteases is dysregulated in these mutants. Moreover, for two of the putative substrates a dependence of the secretion on functional TpsB proteins could be confirmed. We confirm the existence of a two-partner secretion system in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and predict a large pool of putative substrates. IMPORTANCE Cyanobacteria are important organisms for the ecosystem considering their contribution to carbon fixation and oxygen production, while at the same time some species produce compounds that are toxic to their environment. As a consequence, cyanobacteria overpopulation might negatively impact the diversity of natural communities. Thus, a detailed understanding of cyanobacterial interaction with the environment including other organisms is required to define their impact on ecosystems. While two-partner secretion systems are well known from pathogenic bacteria, we provide a first description of the cyanobacterial two-partner secretion system.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 1726-1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Brown ◽  
Jessica A. Sexton ◽  
Mark Johnston

ABSTRACT The Hgt4 protein of Candida albicans (orf19.5962) is orthologous to the Snf3 and Rgt2 glucose sensors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that govern sugar acquisition by regulating the expression of genes encoding hexose transporters. We found that HGT4 is required for glucose induction of the expression of HGT12, HXT10, and HGT7, which encode apparent hexose transporters in C. albicans. An hgt4Δ mutant is defective for growth on fermentable sugars, which is consistent with the idea that Hgt4 is a sensor of glucose and similar sugars. Hgt4 appears to be sensitive to glucose levels similar to those in human serum (∼5 mM). HGT4 expression is repressed by high levels of glucose, which is consistent with the idea that it encodes a high-affinity sugar sensor. Glucose sensing through Hgt4 affects the yeast-to-hyphal morphological switch of C. albicans cells: hgt4Δ mutants are hypofilamented, and a constitutively signaling form of Hgt4 confers hyperfilamentation of cells. The hgt4Δ mutant is less virulent than wild-type cells in a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. These results suggest that Hgt4 is a high-affinity glucose sensor that contributes to the virulence of C. albicans.


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