Dataset Information

Binding site determinants for the LysR-type transcriptional regulator PcaQ in the legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.

ABSTRACT: LysR-type transcriptional regulators represent one of the largest groups of prokaryotic regulators described to date. In the gram-negative legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti, enzymes involved in the protocatechuate branch of the beta-ketoadipate pathway are encoded within the pcaDCHGB operon, which is subject to regulation by the LysR-type protein PcaQ. In this work, purified PcaQ was shown to bind strongly (equilibrium dissociation constant, 0.54 nM) to a region at positions -78 to -45 upstream of the pcaD transcriptional start site. Within this region, we defined a PcaQ binding site with dyad symmetry that is required for regulation of pcaD expression in vivo and for binding of PcaQ in vitro. We also demonstrated that PcaQ participates in negative autoregulation by monitoring expression of pcaQ via a transcriptional fusion to lacZ. Although pcaQ homologues are present in many alpha-proteobacteria, this work describes the first reported purification of this regulator, as well as characterization of its binding site, which is conserved in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium etli, and Mesorhizobium loti.

SUBMITTER: MacLean AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2238203 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Binding site determinants for the LysR-type transcriptional regulator PcaQ in the legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.

MacLean Allyson M AM Anstey Michelle I MI Finan Turlough M TM

Journal of bacteriology 20071130 4

LysR-type transcriptional regulators represent one of the largest groups of prokaryotic regulators described to date. In the gram-negative legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti, enzymes involved in the protocatechuate branch of the beta-ketoadipate pathway are encoded within the pcaDCHGB operon, which is subject to regulation by the LysR-type protein PcaQ. In this work, purified PcaQ was shown to bind strongly (equilibrium dissociation constant, 0.54 nM) to a region at positions -78 to -45 ...[more]

PMID: 18055594

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Project description:Malic enzymes decarboxylate the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediate malate to the glycolytic end-product pyruvate and are well positioned to regulate metabolic flux in central carbon metabolism. The bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti has a NAD(P)-malic enzyme (DME) and a NADP-malic enzyme (TME) and DME is required for symbiotic N2-fixation. To help understand the role of these enzymes, we examined growth, metabolic and transcriptional consequences resulting from the deletion of these enzymes. Few effects were observed upon growth with glucose, whereas growth with the gluconeogenic substrate, succinate, resulted in transcriptional and metabolic effects particularly in the dme mutant strains. When grown with succinate, DME mutant cells accumulated hexose sugar phosphates and trehalose, while TME mutants accumulated putrescine. Succinate-grown DME mutant cells also showed increased transcription of genes for gluconeogenesis and for pathways such as amino acid and fatty acid synthesis that divert metabolites away from the TCA cycle. These data suggested that, DME is required to regulate the levels of TCA cycle intermediates and that the activity of TME is insufficient to prevent the accumulation of TCA cycle intermediates in cells utilizing succinate as carbon source. Consistent with this, in short-1-3 hour incubations with succinate, dme mutant cells excreted large amounts of malate whereas little malate was excreted from tme or wild-type cells. These results support the suggestion that DME is required for N2-fixation in alfalfa because it is required for synthesis of pyruvate and acetyl-CoA and the rapid metabolism of C4-dicarboxylates supplied by the plant. RNA expression was measured for S. meliloti in exponential phase grown in MOPS (morpholinpropanesulfonic acid) buffered minimal media under 2 growth conditions: 1) 15 mM succinate, 2) 15 mM glucose; using wild type cells as well as dme and tme mutant strains (6 experiments, 2 replicates: total 12 samples)

Project description:UnlabelledThe stringent response, mediated by the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA, is triggered by limiting nutrient conditions. For some bacteria, it is involved in regulation of virulence. We investigated the role of two DksA-like proteins from the Gram-negative nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti in free-living culture and in interaction with its host plant Medicago sativa The two paralogs, encoded by the genes SMc00469 and SMc00049, differ in the constitution of two major domains required for function in canonical DksA: the DXXDXA motif at the tip of a coiled-coil domain and a zinc finger domain. Using mutant analyses of single, double, and triple deletions for SMc00469(designated dksA),SMc00049, and relA, we found that the ?dksA mutant but not the ?SMc00049 mutant showed impaired growth on minimal medium, reduced nodulation on the host plant, and lower nitrogen fixation activity in early nodules, while its nod gene expression was normal. The ?relA mutant showed severe pleiotropic phenotypes under all conditions tested. Only S. meliloti dksA complemented the metabolic defects of an Escherichia coli dksA mutant. Modifications of the DXXDXA motif in SMc00049 failed to establish DksA function. Our results imply a role for transcriptional regulator DksA in the S. meliloti-M. sativa symbiosis.ImportanceThe stringent response is a bacterial transcription regulation process triggered upon nutritional stress.Sinorhizobium meliloti, a soil bacterium establishing agriculturally important root nodule symbioses with legume plants, undergoes constant molecular adjustment during host interaction. Analyzing the components of the stringent response in this alphaproteobacterium helps understand molecular control regarding the development of plant interaction. Using mutant analyses, we describe how the lack of DksA influences symbiosis with Medicago sativa and show that a second paralogous S. meliloti protein cannot substitute for this missing function. This work contributes to the field by showing the similarities and differences of S. meliloti DksA-like proteins to orthologs from other species, adding information to the diversity of the stringent response regulatory system.

Dataset Information

Binding site determinants for the LysR-type transcriptional regulator PcaQ in the legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.

Publications

Binding site determinants for the LysR-type transcriptional regulator PcaQ in the legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.

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