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ABSTRACT: Background
Seven serine/threonine kinase genes have been predicted in unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. SpkA and SpkB were shown to be required for cell motility and SpkE has no kinase activity. There is no report whether the other four STKs are involved in stress-mediated signaling in Synechocystis PCC6803.Methodology/principal findings
In this paper, we examined differential expression of the other four serine/threonine kinases, SpkC, SpkD, SpkF and SpkG, at seven different stress conditions. The transcriptional level was up-regulated of spkG and down-regulated of spkC under high salt stress condition. Two spk deletion mutants, ?spkC and ?spkG, were constructed and their growth characteristic were examined compared to the wild strain. The wild strain and ?spkC mutant were not affected under high salt stress conditions. In contrast, growth of spkG mutant was completely impaired. To further confirm the function of spkG, we also examined the effect of mutation of spkG on the expression of salt stress-inducible genes. We compared genome-wide patterns of transcription between wild-type Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and cells with a mutation in the SpkG with DNA microarray analysis.Conclusion
In this study, we first study the spkG gene as sensor of high salt signal. We consider that SpkG play essential roles in Synechocystis sp. for sensing the high salt signal directly, rather than mediating signals among other kinases. Our microarray experiment may help select relatively significant genes for further research on mechanisms of signal transduction of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 under high salt stress.
SUBMITTER: Liang C
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3102658 | biostudies-literature | 2011
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Liang Chengwei C Zhang Xiaowen X Chi Xiaoyuan X Guan Xiangyu X Li Youxun Y Qin Song S Shao Hong Bo HB
PloS one 20110526 5
<h4>Background</h4>Seven serine/threonine kinase genes have been predicted in unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. SpkA and SpkB were shown to be required for cell motility and SpkE has no kinase activity. There is no report whether the other four STKs are involved in stress-mediated signaling in Synechocystis PCC6803.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>In this paper, we examined differential expression of the other four serine/threonine kinases, SpkC, SpkD, SpkF and SpkG, at ...[more]