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Journal of Bacteriology, August 1998, p. 4123-4132, Vol. 180, No. 16
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
The relA/spoT-Homologous Gene in
Streptomyces coelicolor Encodes Both Ribosome-Dependent
(p)ppGppSynthesizing and -Degrading Activities
Oscar H.
Martínez-Costa,
Miguel A.
Fernández-Moreno,
and
Francisco
Malpartida*
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología,
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049-Madrid,
Spain
Received 27 April 1998/Accepted 15 June 1998
Streptomyces coelicolor (p)ppGpp synthetase (Rel
protein) belongs to the RelA and SpoT (RelA/SpoT) family, which is
involved in (p)ppGpp metabolism and the stringent response. The
potential functions of the rel gene have been examined.
S. coelicolor Rel has been shown to be ribosome associated,
and its activity in vitro is ribosome dependent. Analysis in vivo of
the active recombinant protein in well-defined Escherichia coli
relA and relA/spoT mutants provides evidence that
S. coelicolor Rel, like native E. coli RelA, is
functionally ribosome associated, resulting in ribosome-dependent (p)ppGpp accumulation upon amino acid deprivation. Expression of an
S. coelicolor C-terminally deleted Rel, comprised of
only the first 489 amino acids, catalyzes a ribosome-independent
(p)ppGpp formation, in the same manner as the E. coli
truncated RelA protein (1 to 455 amino acids). An E. coli relA
spoT double deletion mutant transformed with S. coelicolor rel gene suppresses the phenotype associated with
(p)ppGpp deficiency. However, in such a strain, a
rel-mediated (p)ppGpp response apparently occurs after
glucose depletion, but only in the absence of amino acids. Analysis of ppGpp decay in E. coli expressing the S. coelicolor rel gene suggests that it also encodes a
(p)ppGpp-degrading activity. By deletion analysis, the catalytic
domains of S. coelicolor Rel for (p)ppGpp synthesis and degradation have been located within its N terminus (amino acids 267 to 453 and 93 to 397, respectively). In addition, E. coli relA in an S. coelicolor rel
deletion mutant restores actinorhodine production and shows a nearly
normal morphological differentiation, as does the wild-type
rel gene, which is in agreement with the proposed role of
(p)ppGpp nucleotides in antibiotic biosynthesis.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología, CSIC, Campus Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049-Madrid, Spain. Phone: 34-91-5854548. Fax: 34-91-5854506. E-mail: fmalpart{at}cnb.uam.es.

Present address: Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de
Medicina, UAM, and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas,
28049-Madrid,
Spain.
Journal of Bacteriology, August 1998, p. 4123-4132, Vol. 180, No. 16
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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