Previous Article | Next Article 
J Bacteriol, May 1998, p. 2723-2728, Vol. 180, No. 10
Section of Microbiology, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York 14853
Received 27 June 1997/Accepted 18 March 1998
Transcription initiation in Archaea (archaebacteria)
resembles the eucaryotic process, having been shown to involve TATA
box-like promoter regions as well as TATA-binding protein and TFIIB
homologs. However, little is known about transcription regulation in
archaea. We have previously demonstrated that transcripts of
nifHDK2 genes, encoding Methanosarcina barkeri
nitrogenase, are present in N2-grown cells but not in
ammonium-grown cells, indicating that nif transcription is
regulated by the nitrogen source. In this study, we detected proteins
in M. barkeri cell extracts that bind specifically to DNA
containing the putative promoter region of nifHDK2. No
binding was found when the promoter region was deleted from the DNA. A competition assay showed that the methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcr) promoter region DNA and the nifH2
promoter region DNA competed for a common factor(s). There was no
binding to the nifH2 promoter region by extracts of
ammonium-grown cells, but there was binding by these extracts to
promoter regions for mcr genes, which are presumably
constitutively expressed. Interestingly, extracts of ammonium-grown
cells inhibited binding to the nif promoter region by
extracts of N2-grown cells. Fractionation of extracts of
ammonium-grown cells with a heparin-Sepharose column resolved them into
a fraction eluting at 0 M NaCl, which inhibited binding by extracts of
N2-grown cells, and a fraction eluting at 0.5 to 0.75 M
NaCl, which showed binding to the promoter region. These results are
congruent with a model for regulation of nif gene
expression in M. barkeri in which a substance present in
ammonium-grown cells inhibits DNA binding by a transcription-associated
protein or proteins.
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Interactions between the Promoter Regions of
Nitrogenase Structural Genes (nifHDK2) and DNA-Binding
Proteins from N2- and Ammonium-Grown Cells of
the Archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri 227
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Section of
Microbiology, Wing Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101. Phone: (607) 255-2415. Fax: (607) 255-3904. E-mail:
shz1{at}cornell.edu.
J Bacteriol, May 1998, p. 2723-2728, Vol. 180, No. 10
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Cabello, P., Roldan, M. D., Moreno-Vivian, C.
(2004). Nitrate reduction and the nitrogen cycle in archaea. Microbiology
150: 3527-3546
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Ehlers, C., Grabbe, R., Veit, K., Schmitz, R. A.
(2002). Characterization of GlnK1 from Methanosarcina mazei Strain Go1: Complementation of an Escherichia coli glnK Mutant Strain by GlnK1. J. Bacteriol.
184: 1028-1040
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Arcondeguy, T., Jack, R., Merrick, M.
(2001). PII Signal Transduction Proteins, Pivotal Players in Microbial Nitrogen Control. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
65: 80-105
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Enoru-Eta, J., Gigot, D., Thia-Toong, T.-L., Glansdorff, N., Charlier, D.
(2000). Purification and Characterization of Sa-Lrp, a DNA-Binding Protein from the Extreme Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius Homologous to the Bacterial Global Transcriptional Regulator Lrp. J. Bacteriol.
182: 3661-3672
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Kessler, P. S., Leigh, J. A.
(1999). Genetics of Nitrogen Regulation in Methanococcus maripaludis. Genetics
152: 1343-1351
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
BELL, S.D., JACKSON, S.P.
(1998). Transcription in Archaea. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol
63: 41-52
[Abstract]
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»