J. Bacteriol., Apr 1996, 1971-1979, Vol 178, No. 7
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

LicT, a Bacillus subtilis transcriptional antiterminator protein of the BglG family

K Schnetz, J Stulke, S Gertz, S Kruger, M Krieg, M Hecker and B Rak
Institut fur Biologie III, Albert-Ludwigs Universitat, Freiburg, Germany.

Gene licS of Bacillus subtilis encodes an excreted Beta-1,3-1,4- endoglucanase necessary for lichenan utilization. Upstream of licS we found a gene (termed licT) together with its promoter which encodes a transcriptional antiterminator of the BglG family. Genes licT and licS are separated by a palindromic sequence (lic-t) reminiscent of transcriptional terminators recognized by the antiterminator proteins of the BglG family. The LicT protein can prevent termination at terminator lic-t and also at terminator t2 of the Escherichia coli bgl operon and BglG prevents termination at lic-t. The role of LicT in licS regulation by preventing termination at its terminator lic-t appears to be limited since expression of licS is inducible only two- to threefold. This limited regulation is mainly due to a high basal level of licS expression which can in part be attributed to the presence of a second promoter preceding licS and located downstream of lic-t. However, disruption of gene licT leads not only to loss of inducibility of licS but also to loss of growth on lichenan or on its degradation products, indicating its stringent role in beta-glucan utilization.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Reichenbach, B., Breustedt, D. A., Stulke, J., Rak, B., Gorke, B. (2007). Genetic Dissection of Specificity Determinants in the Interaction of HPr with Enzymes II of the Bacterial Phosphoenolpyruvate:Sugar Phosphotransferase System in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4603-4613 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schilling, O., Herzberg, C., Hertrich, T., Vorsmann, H., Jessen, D., Hubner, S., Titgemeyer, F., Stulke, J. (2006). Keeping signals straight in transcription regulation: specificity determinants for the interaction of a family of conserved bacterial RNA-protein couples. Nucleic Acids Res 34: 6102-6115 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gorke, B., Reinhardt, J., Rak, B. (2005). Activity of Lac repressor anchored to the Escherichia coli inner membrane. Nucleic Acids Res 33: 2504-2511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Graille, M., Zhou, C.-Z., Receveur-Brechot, V., Collinet, B., Declerck, N., van Tilbeurgh, H. (2005). Activation of the LicT Transcriptional Antiterminator Involves a Domain Swing/Lock Mechanism Provoking Massive Structural Changes. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 14780-14789 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ren, D., Bedzyk, L. A., Setlow, P., England, D. F., Kjelleberg, S., Thomas, S. M., Ye, R. W., Wood, T. K. (2004). Differential Gene Expression To Investigate the Effect of (5Z)-4-Bromo- 5-(Bromomethylene)-3-Butyl-2(5H)-Furanone on Bacillus subtilis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4941-4949 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schilling, O., Langbein, I., Muller, M., Schmalisch, M. H., Stulke, J. (2004). A protein-dependent riboswitch controlling ptsGHI operon expression in Bacillus subtilis: RNA structure rather than sequence provides interaction specificity. Nucleic Acids Res 32: 2853-2864 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gorke, B. (2003). Regulation of the Escherichia coli Antiterminator Protein BglG by Phosphorylation at Multiple Sites and Evidence for Transfer of Phosphoryl Groups between Monomers. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 46219-46229 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kotrba, P., Inui, M., Yukawa, H. (2003). A single V317A or V317M substitution in Enzyme II of a newly identified {beta}-glucoside phosphotransferase and utilization system of Corynebacterium glutamicum R extends its specificity towards cellobiose. Microbiology 149: 1569-1580 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cote, C. K., Honeyman, A. L. (2003). The LicT protein acts as both a positive and a negative regulator of loci within the bgl regulon of Streptococcus mutans. Microbiology 149: 1333-1340 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lindner, C., Hecker, M., Le Coq, D., Deutscher, J. (2002). Bacillus subtilis Mutant LicT Antiterminators Exhibiting Enzyme I- and HPr-Independent Antitermination Affect Catabolite Repression of the bglPH Operon. J. Bacteriol. 184: 4819-4828 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gosalbes, M. J., Esteban, C. D., Perez-Martinez, G. (2002). In vivo effect of mutations in the antiterminator LacT in Lactobacillus casei. Microbiology 148: 695-702 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Funahashi, T., Moriya, K., Uemura, S., Miyoshi, S.-i., Shinoda, S., Narimatsu, S., Yamamoto, S. (2002). Identification and Characterization of pvuA, a Gene Encoding the Ferric Vibrioferrin Receptor Protein in Vibrio parahaemolyticus. J. Bacteriol. 184: 936-946 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wen, Z. T., Burne, R. A. (2002). Analysis of cis- and trans-Acting Factors Involved in Regulation of the Streptococcus mutans Fructanase Gene (fruA). J. Bacteriol. 184: 126-133 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kharat, A. S., Mahadevan, S. (2000). Analysis of the {beta}-glucoside utilization (bgl) genes of Shigella sonnei: evolutionary implications for their maintenance in a cryptic state. Microbiology 146: 2039-2049 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cote, C. K., Cvitkovitch, D., Bleiweis, A. S., Honeyman, A. L. (2000). A novel {beta}-glucoside-specific PTS locus from Streptococcus mutans that is not inhibited by glucose. Microbiology 146: 1555-1563 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yoshida, K.-i., Ishio, I., Nagakawa, E., Yamamoto, Y., Yamamoto, M., Fujita, Y. (2000). Systematic study of gene expression and transcription organization in the gntZ-ywaA region of the Bacillus subtilis genome. Microbiology 146: 573-579 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Boyd, D. A., Thevenot, T., Gumbmann, M., Honeyman, A. L., Hamilton, I. R. (2000). Identification of the Operon for the Sorbitol (Glucitol) Phosphoenolpyruvate:Sugar Phosphotransferase System in Streptococcus mutans. Infect. Immun. 68: 925-930 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Reizer, J., Bachem, S., Reizer, A., Arnaud, M., Saier, M. H. Jr, Stülke, J. (1999). Novel phosphotransferase system genes revealed by genome analysis - the complete complement of PTS proteins encoded within the genome of Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 145: 3419-3429 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Christiansen, I., Hengstenberg, W. (1999). Staphylococcal phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system - two highly similar glucose permeases in Staphylococcus carnosus with different glucoside specificity: protein engineering in vivo?. Microbiology 145: 2881-2889 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tobisch, S., Stülke, J., Hecker, M. (1999). Regulation of the lic Operon of Bacillus subtilis and Characterization of Potential Phosphorylation Sites of the LicR Regulator Protein by Site-Directed Mutagenesis. J. Bacteriol. 181: 4995-5003 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brehm, K., Ripio, M.-T., Kreft, J., Vázquez-Boland, J.-A. (1999). The bvr Locus of Listeria monocytogenes Mediates Virulence Gene Repression by beta -Glucosides. J. Bacteriol. 181: 5024-5032 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gosalbes, M. J., Monedero, V., Pérez-Martínez, G. (1999). Elements Involved in Catabolite Repression and Substrate Induction of the Lactose Operon in Lactobacillus casei. J. Bacteriol. 181: 3928-3934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Franz, C. M. A. P., Worobo, R. W., Quadri, L. E. N., Schillinger, U., Holzapfel, W. H., Vederas, J. C., Stiles, M. E. (1999). Atypical Genetic Locus Associated with Constitutive Production of Enterocin B by Enterococcus faecium BFE 900. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2170-2178 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Boss, A., Nussbaum-Shochat, A., Amster-Choder, O. (1999). Characterization of the Dimerization Domain in BglG, an RNA-Binding Transcriptional Antiterminator from Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 181: 1755-1766 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gutknecht, R., Flukiger, K., Lanz, R., Erni, B. (1999). Mechanism of Phosphoryl Transfer in the Dimeric IIABMan Subunit of the Escherichia coli Mannose Transporter. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 6091-6096 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Henstra, S. A., Tuinhof, M., Duurkens, R. H., Robillard, G. T. (1999). The Bacillus stearothermophilus Mannitol Regulator, MtlR, of the Phosphotransferase System. A DNA-BINDING PROTEIN, REGULATED BY HPr AND IICBmtl-DEPENDENT PHOSPHORYLATION. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 4754-4763 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bachem, S., Stülke, J. (1998). Regulation of the Bacillus subtilis GlcT Antiterminator Protein by Components of the Phosphotransferase System. J. Bacteriol. 180: 5319-5326 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Idelson, M., Amster-Choder, O. (1998). SacY, a Transcriptional Antiterminator from Bacillus subtilis, Is Regulated by Phosphorylation In Vivo. J. Bacteriol. 180: 660-666 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Glatz, E, Persson, M, Rutberg, B (1998). Antiterminator protein GlpP of Bacillus subtilis binds to glpD leader mRNA. Microbiology 144: 449-456 [Abstract]  
• Chen, Q., Engelberg-Kulka, H., Amster-Choder, O. (1997). The Localization of the Phosphorylation Site of BglG, the Response Regulator of the Escherichia coli bgl Sensory System. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 17263-17268 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tortosa, P., Aymerich, S., Lindner, C., Saier Jr., M. H., Reizer, J., Le Coq, D. (1997). Multiple Phosphorylation of SacY, a Bacillus subtilis Transcriptional Antiterminator Negatively Controlled by the Phosphotransferase System. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 17230-17237 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Arnaud, M., Debarbouille, M., Rapoport, G., Saier, M. H. Jr., Reizer, J. (1996). In Vitro Reconstitution of Transcriptional Antitermination by the SacT and SacY Proteins of Bacillus subtilis. J. Biol. Chem. 271: 18966-18972 [Abstract] [Full Text]