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Journal of Bacteriology, January 1999, p. 541-551, Vol. 181, No. 2
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
cis- and trans-Acting
Elements Involved in Regulation of aniA, the Gene Encoding
the Major Anaerobically Induced Outer Membrane Protein in
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Tracey C.
Householder,1
Wesley A.
Belli,1,
Sarah
Lissenden,2
Jeffrey A.
Cole,2 and
Virginia L.
Clark1,*
Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester,
Rochester, New York 14642,1 and
School
of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT,
United Kingdom2
Received 13 August 1998/Accepted 6 November 1998
AniA (formerly Pan1) is the major anaerobically induced outer
membrane protein in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. AniA has been
shown to be a major antigen in patients with gonococcal disease, and we
have been studying its regulation in order to understand the gonococcal
response to anaerobiosis and its potential role in virulence. This
study presents a genetic analysis of aniA regulation. Through deletion analysis of the upstream region, we have determined the minimal promoter region necessary for aniA expression.
This 130-bp region contains a sigma 70-type promoter and an FNR
(fumarate and nitrate reductase regulator protein) binding site, both
of which are absolutely required for anaerobic expression. Also located in the minimal promoter region are three T-rich direct repeats and
several potential NarP binding sites. This 80-bp region is required for
induction by nitrite. By site-directed mutagenesis of promoter
sequences, we have determined that the transcription of
aniA is initiated only from the sigma 70-type promoter. The gearbox promoter, previously believed to be the major promoter, does
not appear to be active during anaerobiosis. The gonococcal FNR and
NarP homologs are involved in the regulation of aniA, and
we demonstrate that placing aniA under the control of the tac promoter compensates for the inability of a gonococcal
fnr mutant to grow anaerobically.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642. Phone: (716) 275-3154. Fax: (716) 473-9573. E-mail:
Ginny_Clark{at}urmc.rochester.edu.

Present address: Astra Pharmaceuticals, L.P., Rochester, NY
14623.
Journal of Bacteriology, January 1999, p. 541-551, Vol. 181, No. 2
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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