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Journal of Bacteriology, June 2008, p. 3930-3939, Vol. 190, No. 11
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JB.00108-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
Received 22 January 2008/ Accepted 17 March 2008
CreBC is a two-component system that controls the expression of a number of genes in Escherichia coli (called the cre regulon) that encode diverse functions, including intermediary metabolic enzymes. Using a reporter construct, we have shown that cre regulon gene expression is activated during growth in minimal media when glycolytic carbon sources are being fermented. It also is activated during aerobic growth when fermentation products are being used as carbon sources. CreB and CreC are essential for the activation of cre regulon gene expression, but CreA and CreD, encoded as part of the creABCD gene cluster, are not. CreB binds to a TTCACnnnnnnTTCAC direct repeat (the cre tag) in vitro, and this sequence, which is associated with cre regulon gene promoters, is required for the control of gene expression in vivo. These observations support the hypothesis that CreBC is a functional two-component system involved in the metabolic control of transcription in E. coli and confirm that CreB is a DNA binding transcriptional regulator.
Published ahead of print on 28 March 2008.
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