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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2008, p. 5162-5171, Vol. 190, No. 15
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00368-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Involvement of Nitrogen Regulation in Bacillus subtilis degU Expression {triangledown}

Ayako Yasumura, Sadanobu Abe, and Teruo Tanaka*

Institute of Oceanic Research and Development, Tokai University, Orido 3-20-1, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan

Received 13 March 2008/ Accepted 15 May 2008

Bacillus subtilis DegS-DegU belongs to a bacterial two-component system that controls many processes, including the production of exocellular proteases and competence development. It was found that when the glutamine synthetase gene glnA, which is involved in nitrogen regulation, was disrupted, the expression of the response regulator degU gene was increased. Deletion analysis and 5'-end mapping of the degU transcripts showed that the increase was caused by induction of a promoter (P2) located before the degU gene. Disruption of tnrA, a global regulator of nitrogen regulation, eliminated the P2 promoter induction by the glnA mutation. The fact that the P2 promoter is under nitrogen regulation was demonstrated by an increase in P2 expression with nitrogen-limited growth. It was also found by primer extension analysis that degU was transcribed by another promoter, P3, that is located downstream of P2. Efficient expression of P3 was dependent on phosphorylated DegU, as inactivation of the sensor kinase gene, degS, resulted in the loss of degU expression, although less efficient stimulation of degU expression was also observed with an enhanced level of DegU in a degS-deficient mutant. The promoter located upstream of the degSU operon, designated the P1 promoter here, was insensitive to glnA and degU mutations. These results suggest that degU expression is controlled by the three promoters under different growth conditions.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Oceanic Research and Development, Tokai University, Orido 3-20-1, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan. Phone: 81-543-34-0411, ext. 2933. Fax: 81-543-34-9834. E-mail: teruot{at}scc.u-tokai.ac.jp

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 23 May 2008.

Journal of Bacteriology, August 2008, p. 5162-5171, Vol. 190, No. 15
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00368-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Abe, S., Yasumura, A., Tanaka, T. (2009). Regulation of Bacillus subtilis aprE Expression by glnA through Inhibition of scoC and {sigma}D-Dependent degR Expression. J. Bacteriol. 191: 3050-3058 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Murray, E. J., Kiley, T. B., Stanley-Wall, N. R. (2009). A pivotal role for the response regulator DegU in controlling multicellular behaviour. Microbiology 155: 1-8 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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