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J. Bacteriol., 08 1995, 4696-4702, Vol 177, No. 16
S Shin and C Park
During the search for unknown factors involved in motility, we have found
that expression of the flagellar master operon flhDC is affected by
mutations of the pta and ackA genes, encoding phosphotransacetylase and
acetate kinase, respectively (S. Shin, J. Sheen, and C. Park, Korean J.
Microbiol. 31:504-511, 1993). Here we describe results showing that this
effect is modulated by externally added acetate, except when both pta and
ackA are mutated, suggesting the role of acetyl phosphate, an intermediate
of acetate metabolism, as a regulatory effector. Furthermore, the following
evidence indicates that the phosphorylation of OmpR, a trans factor for
osmoregulation, regulates flagellar expression. First, in a strain lacking
ompR, the expression of flhDC is no longer responsive to a change in the
level of acetyl phosphate. Second, an increase in medium osmolarity does
not decrease flhDC expression in an ompR mutant. It is known that such an
increase normally enhances OmpR phosphorylation. Third, OmpR protein binds
to the DNA fragment containing the flhDC promoter, and its affinity is
increased with phosphorylation by acetyl phosphate. DNase I footprinting
revealed the regions of the flhDC promoter protected by OmpR in the
presence or absence of phosphorylation. Therefore, we propose that the
phosphorylated OmpR, generated by either osmolarity change or the internal
level of acetyl phosphate, negatively regulates the expression of flagella.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Modulation of flagellar expression in Escherichia coli by acetyl phosphate and the osmoregulator OmpR
Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yusong-Ku, Taejon.
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