This Article Full Text 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 Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Härtig, E. Articles by Nakano, M. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Härtig, E. Articles by Nakano, M. M.

Bacillus subtilis ResD Induces Expression of the Potential Regulatory Genes yclJK upon Oxygen Limitation

Elisabeth Härtig,^1,* Hao Geng,^,2 Anja Hartmann,¹ Angela Hubacek,³ Richard Münch,¹ Rick W. Ye,⁴ Dieter Jahn,¹ and Michiko M. Nakano²

Institute of Microbiology, University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany,¹ Department of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems, OGI School of Science and Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton,² Woodburn High School, Woodburn Oregon,³ Experimental Station E328/148B, DuPont Central Research and Development, Wilmington, Delaware⁴

Received 17 May 2004/ Accepted 8 July 2004

Transcription of the yclJK operon, which encodes a potential two-component regulatory system, is activated in response to oxygen limitation in Bacillus subtilis. Northern blot analysis and assays of yclJ-lacZ reporter gene fusion activity revealed that the anaerobic induction is dependent on another two-component signal transduction system encoded by resDE. ResDE was previously shown to be required for the induction of anaerobic energy metabolism. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting experiments showed that the response regulator ResD binds specifically to the yclJK regulatory region upstream of the transcriptional start site. In vitro transcription experiments demonstrated that ResD is sufficient to activate yclJ transcription. The phosphorylation of ResD by its sensor kinase, ResE, highly stimulates its activity as a transcriptional activator. Multiple nucleotide substitutions in the ResD binding regions of the yclJ promoter abolished ResD binding in vitro and prevented the anaerobic induction of yclJK in vivo. A weight matrix for the ResD binding site was defined by a bioinformatic approach. The results obtained suggest the existence of a new branch of the complex regulatory system employed for the adaptation of B. subtilis to anaerobic growth conditions.

E.H. and H.G. contributed equally to this work.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Puri-Taneja, A., Schau, M., Chen, Y., Hulett, F. M. (2007). Regulators of the Bacillus subtilis cydABCD Operon: Identification of a Negative Regulator, CcpA, and a Positive Regulator, ResD. J. Bacteriol. 189: 3348-3358 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Geng, H., Zhu, Y., Mullen, K., Zuber, C. S., Nakano, M. M. (2007). Characterization of ResDE-Dependent fnr Transcription in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1745-1755 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Duport, C., Zigha, A., Rosenfeld, E., Schmitt, P. (2006). Control of Enterotoxin Gene Expression in Bacillus cereus F4430/73 Involves the Redox-Sensitive ResDE Signal Transduction System.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 6640-6651 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hartig, E., Hartmann, A., Schatzle, M., Albertini, A. M., Jahn, D. (2006). The Bacillus subtilis nrdEF Genes, Encoding a Class Ib Ribonucleotide Reductase, Are Essential for Aerobic and Anaerobic Growth. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 5260-5265 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Even, S., Burguiere, P., Auger, S., Soutourina, O., Danchin, A., Martin-Verstraete, I. (2006). Global Control of Cysteine Metabolism by CymR in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 188: 2184-2197 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Reents, H., Munch, R., Dammeyer, T., Jahn, D., Hartig, E. (2006). The Fnr Regulon of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 188: 1103-1112 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Munch, R., Hiller, K., Grote, A., Scheer, M., Klein, J., Schobert, M., Jahn, D. (2005). Virtual Footprint and PRODORIC: an integrative framework for regulon prediction in prokaryotes. Bioinformatics 21: 4187-4189 [Abstract] [Full Text]