Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Bacteriology, January 2001, p. 483-489, Vol. 183, No. 2
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.2.483-489.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Transcriptional Activation of Bordetella
Alcaligin Siderophore Genes Requires the AlcR Regulator with Alcaligin
as Inducer
Timothy J.
Brickman,1,2
Ho Young
Kang,1,
and
Sandra K.
Armstrong1,2,*
Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North
Carolina 27858-4354,1 and Department of
Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55455-03122
Received 24 August 2000/Accepted 27 October 2000
Genetic and biochemical studies have established that Fur and iron
mediate repression of Bordetella alcaligin siderophore system (alc) genes under iron-replete nutritional growth
conditions. In this study, transcriptional analyses using
Bordetella chromosomal alc-lacZ operon fusions
determined that maximal alc gene transcriptional activity
under iron starvation stress conditions is dependent on the presence of
alcaligin siderophore. Mutational analysis and genetic complementation
confirmed that alcaligin-responsive transcriptional activation of
Bordetella alcaligin system genes is dependent on AlcR, a
Fur-regulated AraC-like positive transcriptional regulator encoded
within the alcaligin gene cluster. AlcR-mediated transcriptional
activation is remarkably sensitive to inducer, occurring at extremely
low alcaligin concentrations. This positive autogenous control circuit
involving alcaligin siderophore as the inducer for AlcR-mediated
transcriptional activation of alcaligin siderophore biosynthesis and
transport genes coordinates environmental and intracellular signals for
maximal expression of these genes under conditions in which the
presence of alcaligin in the environment is perceived.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology, University of Minnesota, MMC 196 FUMC, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455-0312. Phone: (612) 625-6947. Fax: (612)
626-0623. E-mail: sandra{at}lenti.med.umn.edu.

Present address: Department of Biology, Washington University,
Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899.
Journal of Bacteriology, January 2001, p. 483-489, Vol. 183, No. 2
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.2.483-489.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Schubbe, S., Williams, T. J., Xie, G., Kiss, H. E., Brettin, T. S., Martinez, D., Ross, C. A., Schuler, D., Cox, B. L., Nealson, K. H., Bazylinski, D. A.
(2009). Complete Genome Sequence of the Chemolithoautotrophic Marine Magnetotactic Coccus Strain MC-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
75: 4835-4852
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Miethke, M., Schmidt, S., Marahiel, M. A.
(2008). The Major Facilitator Superfamily-Type Transporter YmfE and the Multidrug-Efflux Activator Mta Mediate Bacillibactin Secretion in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol.
190: 5143-5152
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Anderson, M. T., Armstrong, S. K.
(2008). Norepinephrine Mediates Acquisition of Transferrin-Iron in Bordetella bronchiseptica. J. Bacteriol.
190: 3940-3947
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Balado, M., Osorio, C. R., Lemos, M. L.
(2008). Biosynthetic and regulatory elements involved in the production of the siderophore vanchrobactin in Vibrio anguillarum. Microbiology
154: 1400-1413
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Anderson, E. S., Paulley, J. T., Roop, R. M. II
(2008). The AraC-Like Transcriptional Regulator DhbR Is Required for Maximum Expression of the 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid Biosynthesis Genes in Brucella abortus 2308 in Response to Iron Deprivation. J. Bacteriol.
190: 1838-1842
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Brickman, T. J., Armstrong, S. K.
(2007). Impact of Alcaligin Siderophore Utilization on In Vivo Growth of Bordetella pertussis. Infect. Immun.
75: 5305-5312
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Miethke, M., Marahiel, M. A.
(2007). Siderophore-Based Iron Acquisition and Pathogen Control. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
71: 413-451
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Morales, S. E., Lewis, T. A.
(2006). Transcriptional Regulation of the pdt Gene Cluster of Pseudomonas stutzeri KC Involves an AraC/XylS Family Transcriptional Activator (PdtC) and the Cognate Siderophore Pyridine-2,6-Bis(Thiocarboxylic Acid). Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
72: 6994-7002
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Leach, L. H., Lewis, T. A.
(2006). Identification and characterization of Pseudomonas membrane transporters necessary for utilization of the siderophore pyridine-2,6-bis(thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC).. Microbiology
152: 3157-3166
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Anderson, M. T., Armstrong, S. K.
(2006). The Bordetella bfe system: growth and transcriptional response to siderophores, catechols, and neuroendocrine catecholamines.. J. Bacteriol.
188: 5731-5740
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Brickman, T. J., Armstrong, S. K.
(2005). Bordetella AlcS Transporter Functions in Alcaligin Siderophore Export and Is Central to Inducer Sensing in Positive Regulation of Alcaligin System Gene Expression. J. Bacteriol.
187: 3650-3661
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Anderson, M. T., Armstrong, S. K.
(2004). The BfeR Regulator Mediates Enterobactin-Inducible Expression of Bordetella Enterobactin Utilization Genes. J. Bacteriol.
186: 7302-7311
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Vanderpool, C. K., Armstrong, S. K.
(2004). Integration of Environmental Signals Controls Expression of Bordetella Heme Utilization Genes. J. Bacteriol.
186: 938-948
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Vanderpool, C. K., Armstrong, S. K.
(2003). Heme-Responsive Transcriptional Activation of Bordetella bhu Genes. J. Bacteriol.
185: 909-917
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Brickman, T. J., Armstrong, S. K.
(2002). Alcaligin Siderophore Production by Bordetella bronchiseptica Strain RB50 Is Not Repressed by the BvgAS Virulence Control System. J. Bacteriol.
184: 7055-7057
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Lamont, I. L., Beare, P. A., Ochsner, U., Vasil, A. I., Vasil, M. L.
(2002). Siderophore-mediated signaling regulates virulence factor production in Pseudomonasaeruginosa. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
99: 7072-7077
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Brickman, T. J., Armstrong, S. K.
(2002). Bordetella Interspecies Allelic Variation in AlcR Inducer Requirements: Identification of a Critical Determinant of AlcR Inducer Responsiveness and Construction of an alcR(Con) Mutant Allele. J. Bacteriol.
184: 1530-1539
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ronpirin, C., Jerse, A. E., Cornelissen, C. N.
(2001). Gonococcal Genes Encoding Transferrin-Binding Proteins A and B Are Arranged in a Bicistronic Operon but Are Subject to Differential Expression. Infect. Immun.
69: 6336-6347
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Vanderpool, C. K., Armstrong, S. K.
(2001). The Bordetella bhu Locus Is Required for Heme Iron Utilization. J. Bacteriol.
183: 4278-4287
[Abstract]
[Full Text]