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Journal of Bacteriology, October 1998, p. 5344-5350, Vol. 180, No. 20
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen and Oxygen Regulation of Bacillus subtilis nasDEF Encoding NADH-Dependent Nitrite Reductase by TnrA and ResDE

Michiko M. Nakano,1,* Tamara Hoffmann,2,3 Yi Zhu,1,dagger and Dieter Jahn2

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932,1 and Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg,2 and Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, 35043 Marburg,3 Germany

Received 29 May 1998/Accepted 11 August 1998

The nitrate and nitrite reductases of Bacillus subtilis have two different physiological functions. Under conditions of nitrogen limitation, these enzymes catalyze the reduction of nitrate via nitrite to ammonia for the anabolic incorporation of nitrogen into biomolecules. They also function catabolically in anaerobic respiration, which involves the use of nitrate and nitrite as terminal electron acceptors. Two distinct nitrate reductases, encoded by narGHI and nasBC, function in anabolic and catabolic nitrogen metabolism, respectively. However, as reported herein, a single NADH-dependent, soluble nitrite reductase encoded by the nasDE genes is required for both catabolic and anabolic processes. The nasDE genes, together with nasBC (encoding assimilatory nitrate reductase) and nasF (required for nitrite reductase siroheme cofactor formation), constitute the nas operon. Data presented show that transcription of nasDEF is driven not only by the previously characterized nas operon promoter but also from an internal promoter residing between the nasC and nasD genes. Transcription from both promoters is activated by nitrogen limitation during aerobic growth by the nitrogen regulator, TnrA. However, under conditions of oxygen limitation, nasDEF expression and nitrite reductase activity were significantly induced. Anaerobic induction of nasDEF required the ResDE two-component regulatory system and the presence of nitrite, indicating partial coregulation of NasDEF with the respiratory nitrate reductase NarGHI during nitrate respiration.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 91000, Portland, OR 97291-1000. Phone: (503) 748-1070. Fax: (503) 748-1464. E-mail: mnakano{at}bmb.ogi.edu.

dagger Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Portland, OR 97291-1000.

Journal of Bacteriology, October 1998, p. 5344-5350, Vol. 180, No. 20
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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