This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Belitsky, B. R. Articles by Sonenshein, A. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Belitsky, B. R. Articles by Sonenshein, A. L.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., Oct 1995, 5686-5695, Vol 177, No. 19
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Sites required for GltC-dependent regulation of Bacillus subtilis glutamate synthase expression

BR Belitsky, PJ Janssen and AL Sonenshein
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.

The Bacillus subtilis gltAB genes, coding for the two subunits of glutamate synthase, are transcribed divergently from the gltC gene, encoding a LysR-type transcriptional activator of gltAB. The predicted gltA and gltC transcription start sites are separated by 51 to 52 bp. A 15-bp, consensus binding site (Box I) for LysR-type proteins was found centered at position -64 with respect to the gltA transcription start. This site was shown by mutational analysis to be required both for GltC- mediated activation of gltA and for autorepression of gltC. Box II, which is similar to Box I, is centered 22 bp downstream of Box I and overlaps the -35 region of the gltA promoter. Box II was found to be essential for activation of gltA but not for gltC autoregulation. Introduction of approximately one additional helical turn of DNA between Box I and Box II enhanced gltA expression 7- to 40-fold under nonactivating conditions and about 2-fold under activating conditions. Expression of gltA was dramatically decreased when the distance between Box I and Box II was altered by a nonintegral number of helical turns of DNA. gltC autorepression was abolished by most of the inserts between Box I and Box II but was augmented by adding one helical turn.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hashim, S., Kwon, D.-H., Abdelal, A., Lu, C.-D. (2004). The Arginine Regulatory Protein Mediates Repression by Arginine of the Operons Encoding Glutamate Synthase and Anabolic Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 186: 3848-3854 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belitsky, B. R., Kim, H.-J., Sonenshein, A. L. (2004). CcpA-Dependent Regulation of Bacillus subtilis Glutamate Dehydrogenase Gene Expression. J. Bacteriol. 186: 3392-3398 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belitsky, B. R., Sonenshein, A. L. (2004). Modulation of Activity of Bacillus subtilis Regulatory Proteins GltC and TnrA by Glutamate Dehydrogenase. J. Bacteriol. 186: 3399-3407 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gao, H., Jiang, X., Pogliano, K., Aronson, A. I. (2002). The E1{beta} and E2 Subunits of the Bacillus subtilis Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Are Involved in Regulation of Sporulation. J. Bacteriol. 184: 2780-2788 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belitsky, B. R., Wray, L. V. Jr., Fisher, S. H., Bohannon, D. E., Sonenshein, A. L. (2000). Role of TnrA in Nitrogen Source-Dependent Repression of Bacillus subtilis Glutamate Synthase Gene Expression. J. Bacteriol. 182: 5939-5947 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lin, T.-P., Chen, C.-L., Chang, L.-K., Tschen, J. S.-M., Liu, S.-T. (1999). Functional and Transcriptional Analyses of a Fengycin Synthetase Gene, fenC, from Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 181: 5060-5067 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Peng, H.-L., Shiou, S.-R., Chang, H.-Y. (1999). Characterization of mdcR, a Regulatory Gene of the Malonate Catabolic System in Klebsiella pneumoniae. J. Bacteriol. 181: 2302-2306 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belitsky, B. R., Sonenshein, A. L. (1998). Role and Regulation of Bacillus subtilis Glutamate Dehydrogenase Genes. J. Bacteriol. 180: 6298-6305 [Abstract] [Full Text]