This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Christiansen, L. C.
Right arrow Articles by Saxild, H. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Christiansen, L. C.
Right arrow Articles by Saxild, H. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., 04 1997, 2540-2550, Vol 179, No. 8
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Xanthine metabolism in Bacillus subtilis: characterization of the xpt- pbuX operon and evidence for purine- and nitrogen-controlled expression of genes involved in xanthine salvage and catabolism

LC Christiansen, S Schou, P Nygaard and HH Saxild
Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The xpt and pbuX genes from Bacillus subtilis were cloned, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The xpt gene encodes a specific xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase, and the pbuX gene encodes a xanthine-specific purine permease. The genes have overlapping coding regions, and Northern (RNA) blot analysis indicated an operon organization. The translation of the second gene, pbuX, was strongly dependent on the translation of the first gene, xpt. Expression of the operon was repressed by purines, and the effector molecules appear to be hypoxanthine and guanine. When hypoxanthine and guanine were added together, a 160-fold repression was observed. The regulation of expression was at the level of transcription, and we propose that a transcription termination-antitermination control mechanism similar to the one suggested for the regulation of the purine biosynthesis operon exists. The expression of the xpt-pbuX operon was reduced when hypoxanthine served as the sole nitrogen source. Under these conditions, the level of the hypoxanthine- and xanthine-degrading enzyme, xanthine dehydrogenase, was induced more than 80-fold. The xanthine dehydrogenase level was completely derepressed in a glnA (glutamine synthetase) genetic background. Although the regulation of the expression of the xpt-pbuX operon was found to be affected by the nitrogen source, it was normal in a glnA mutant strain. This result suggests the existence of different signalling pathways for repression of the transcription of the xpt-pbuX operon and the induction of xanthine dehydrogenase.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Barbe, V., Cruveiller, S., Kunst, F., Lenoble, P., Meurice, G., Sekowska, A., Vallenet, D., Wang, T., Moszer, I., Medigue, C., Danchin, A. (2009). From a consortium sequence to a unified sequence: the Bacillus subtilis 168 reference genome a decade later. Microbiology 155: 1758-1775 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • de la Riva, L., Badia, J., Aguilar, J., Bender, R. A., Baldoma, L. (2008). The hpx Genetic System for Hypoxanthine Assimilation as a Nitrogen Source in Klebsiella pneumoniae: Gene Organization and Transcriptional Regulation. J. Bacteriol. 190: 7892-7903 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Seif, E., Altman, S. (2008). RNase P cleaves the adenine riboswitch and stabilizes pbuE mRNA in Bacillus subtilis. RNA 14: 1237-1243 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nygaard, P., Saxild, H. H. (2005). The Purine Efflux Pump PbuE in Bacillus subtilis Modulates Expression of the PurR and G-Box (XptR) Regulons by Adjusting the Purine Base Pool Size. J. Bacteriol. 187: 791-794 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Koren, O., Knezevic, V., Ron, E. Z., Rosenberg, E. (2003). Petroleum Pollution Bioremediation Using Water-Insoluble Uric Acid as the Nitrogen Source. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 6337-6339 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johansen, L. E., Nygaard, P., Lassen, C., Agerso, Y., Saxild, H. H. (2003). Definition of a Second Bacillus subtilis pur Regulon Comprising the pur and xpt-pbuX Operons plus pbuG, nupG (yxjA), and pbuE (ydhL). J. Bacteriol. 185: 5200-5209 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Beier, L., Nygaard, P., Jarmer, H., Saxild, H. H. (2002). Transcription Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis PucR Regulon and Identification of a cis-Acting Sequence Required for PucR-Regulated Expression of Genes Involved in Purine Catabolism. J. Bacteriol. 184: 3232-3241 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Saxild, H. H., Brunstedt, K., Nielsen, K. I., Jarmer, H., Nygaard, P. (2001). Definition of the Bacillus subtilis PurR Operator Using Genetic and Bioinformatic Tools and Expansion of the PurR Regulon with glyA, guaC, pbuG, xpt-pbuX, yqhZ-folD, and pbuO. J. Bacteriol. 183: 6175-6183 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schultz, A. C., Nygaard, P., Saxild, H. H. (2001). Functional Analysis of 14 Genes That Constitute the Purine Catabolic Pathway in Bacillus subtilis and Evidence for a Novel Regulon Controlled by the PucR Transcription Activator. J. Bacteriol. 183: 3293-3302 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Argyrou, E., Sophianopoulou, V., Schultes, N., Diallinas, G. (2001). Functional Characterization of a Maize Purine Transporter by Expression in Aspergillus nidulans. Plant Cell 13: 953-964 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nygaard, P., Bested, S. M., Andersen, K. A. K., Saxild, H. H. (2000). Bacillus subtilis guanine deaminase is encoded by the yknA gene and is induced during growth with purines as the nitrogen source. Microbiology 146: 3061-3069 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Shin, B.-S., Choi, S.-K., Smith, I., Park, S.-H. (2000). Analysis of tnrA Alleles Which Result in a Glucose-Resistant Sporulation Phenotype in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 182: 5009-5012 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Maynes, J. T., Yuan, R. G., Snyder, F. F. (2000). Identification, Expression, and Characterization of Escherichia coli Guanine Deaminase. J. Bacteriol. 182: 4658-4660 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Saxild, H. H., Nygaard, P. (2000). The yexA gene product is required for phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthetase activity in Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 146: 807-814 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schuch, R., Garibian, A., Saxild, H. H., Piggot, P. J., Nygaard, P. (1999). Nucleosides as a carbon source in Bacillus subtilis: characterization of the drm-pupG operon. Microbiology 145: 2957-2966 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Leimkühler, S., Klipp, W. (1999). Role of XDHC in Molybdenum Cofactor Insertion into Xanthine Dehydrogenase of Rhodobacter capsulatus. J. Bacteriol. 181: 2745-2751 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zalieckas, J. M., Wray, L. V. Jr., Fisher, S. H. (1999). trans-Acting Factors Affecting Carbon Catabolite Repression of the hut Operon in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 181: 2883-2888 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zeng, X., Saxild, H. H. (1999). Identification and Characterization of a DeoR-Specific Operator Sequence Essential for Induction of dra-nupC-pdp Operon Expression in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 181: 1719-1727 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sauer, J., Nygaard, P. (1999). Expression of the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum hpt Gene, Encoding Hypoxanthine (Guanine) Phosphoribosyltransferase, in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 181: 1958-1962 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Aneja, P., Charles, T. C. (1999). Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate Degradation in Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) meliloti: Isolation and Characterization of a Gene Encoding 3-Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase. J. Bacteriol. 181: 849-857 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kilstrup, M., Jessing, S. G., Wichmand-Jørgensen, S. B., Madsen, M., Nilsson, D. (1998). Activation Control of pur Gene Expression in Lactococcus lactis: Proposal for a Consensus Activator Binding Sequence Based on Deletion Analysis and Site-Directed Mutagenesis of purC and purD Promoter Regions. J. Bacteriol. 180: 3900-3906 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kilstrup, M., Martinussen, J. (1998). A Transcriptional Activator, Homologous to the Bacillus subtilis PurR Repressor, Is Required for Expression of Purine Biosynthetic Genes in Lactococcus lactis. J. Bacteriol. 180: 3907-3916 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»