Transcription activation by catabolite activator protein (CAP)

Regulation of the isofunctional genes ubiD and ubiX of the ubiquinone biosynthetic pathway of Escherichia coli

The expressions of the isofunctional genes ubiD and ubiX of the ubiquinone biosynthetic pathway of Escherichia coli were compared under a variety of growth conditions and in several genetic backgrounds. LacZ operon fusions were constructed and were inserted in single copies into strain MC4100 and into its fnr, arcA or hemA carrying derivatives. During aerobic growth the expressions of both ubiD and ubiX depended on the carbon source: succinate>glycerol>glucose. Mutations in fnr, arcA or hemA increased the expressions of both genes. During anaerobic growth in LB medium glucose strongly inhibited the expression of ubiD but not of ubiX.

Functional interaction between RNA polymerase alpha subunit C-terminal domain and sigma70 in UP-element- and activator-dependent transcription

We show that the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) alpha subunit C-terminal domain (alphaCTD) functionally interacts with sigma(70) at a subset of UP-element- and activator-dependent promoters, we define the determinants of alphaCTD and sigma(70) required for the interaction, and we present a structural model for the interaction. The alphaCTD-sigma(70) interaction spans the upstream promoter and core promoter, thereby linking recognition of UP-elements and activators in the upstream promoter with recognition of the -35 element in the core promoter. We propose that the alphaCTD-sigma(70) interaction permits UP-elements and activators not only to "recruit" RNAP through direct interaction with alphaCTD, but also to "remodel" RNAP-core-promoter interaction through indirect, alphaCTD-bridged interactions with sigma(70).

Escherichia coli SspA is a transcription activator for bacteriophage P1 late genes

The stringent starvation protein A (SspA), an Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP)-associated protein, has been reported to be essential for lytic growth of bacteriophage P1. Unlike P1 early promoters, P1 late promoters are not recognized by RNAP alone. A phage-encoded early protein, Lpa (late promoter activator protein, formerly called gp10), has been shown to be required for P1 late transcription in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that SspA is a transcription activator for P1 late genes. Our results indicated that Lpa is not limiting in an sspA mutant. However, the transcription of P1 late genes was deficient in an sspA mutant in vivo. We demonstrated that SspA/Lpa are required for transcription activation of the P1 late promoter Ps in vitro. In addition, SspA and Lpa were shown to facilitate the binding of RNAP to Ps late promoter DNA. Activation of late transcription by SspA/Lpa was dependent on holoenzyme containing sigma70 but not sigmaS, indicating that the two activators discriminate between the two forms of the holoenzyme. Furthermore, P1 early gene expression was downregulated in the wild-type background, whereas it persisted in the sspA mutant background, indicating that SspA/Lpa mediate the transcriptional switch from the early to the late genes during P1 lytic growth. Thus, this work provides the first evidence for a function of the E. coli RNAP-associated protein SspA.

An intersubunit contact stimulating transcription initiation by E coli RNA polymerase: interaction of the alpha C-terminal domain and sigma region 4

The C-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) alpha subunit (alphaCTD) stimulates transcription initiation by interacting with upstream (UP) element DNA and a variety of transcription activators. Here we identify specific substitutions in region 4.2 of sigma 70 (sigma(70)) and in alphaCTD that decrease transcription initiation from promoters containing some, but not all, UP elements. This decrease in transcription derives from a decrease in the initial equilibrium constant for RNAP binding (K(B)). The open complexes formed by the mutant and wild-type RNAPs differ in DNAse I sensitivity at the junction of the alphaCTD and sigma DNA binding sites, correlating with the differences in transcription. A model of the DNA-alphaCTD-sigma region 4.2 ternary complex, constructed from the previously determined X-ray structures of the Thermus aquaticus sigma region 4.2-DNA complex and the E. coli alphaCTD-DNA complex, indicates that the residues identified by mutation in sigma region 4.2 and in alphaCTD are in very close proximity. Our results strongly suggest that alphaCTD, when bound to an UP element proximal subsite, contacts the RNAP sigma(70) subunit, increasing transcription. Previous data from the literature suggest that this same sigma-alphaCTD interaction also plays a role in transcription factor-mediated activation.

Molecular beacons for detecting DNA binding proteins: mechanism of action

New methodology for detecting sequence-specific DNA binding proteins has been recently developed (T. Heyduk, and E. Heyduk, Nat. Biotechnol. 20 (2002) 171). The central feature of this assay is protein-dependent association of two DNA fragments, each containing about half of a DNA sequence-defining the protein binding site. In this report we propose a physical model explaining the functioning of the assay. The model involves two linked equilibria: association between the two DNA fragments and binding of the protein exclusively to the complex between the two DNA fragments. Equilibrium and kinetic experiments provided evidence supporting the proposed model and showed that the model was sufficient to describe the behavior of the assay under a variety of conditions. Kinetic data identified the association between the two DNA half-sites as the rate-limiting step of the assay. Theoretical simulations based on the proposed model were used to investigate parameters important for the maximal sensitivity of the assay. Physical understanding of the assay will provide means for rational design of the assay for a variety of target proteins.

Dissecting DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions involved in bacterial transcriptional regulation by a sensitive protein array method combining a near-infrared fluorescence detection

The protein array methodology is used to study DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions governing gene expression from the Bacillus stearothermophilus PargCo promoter-operator region. Using probes labelled with near-infrared fluorescence dyes with exitation characteristics close to 700 or 800 nm, it is possible to detect signals from proteins (purified or non-purified in Escherichia coli cell extracts) immobilised on a nitrocellulose membrane with a high sensitivity (almost 12 amol of a spotted protein for protein-DNA interactions). Protein array data are confirmed by other methods indicating that molecular interactions of the order 10(-7) M can be monitored with the proposed protein array approach. We show that the PargCo region is a target for binding at least three types of regulatory proteins, ArgR repressors from thermophilic bacteria, the E. coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit and cyclic AMP binding protein CRP. We also demonstrate that the high strength of the PargC promoter is related to an upstream element that binds to the E. coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit.

A LuxR-type regulator from Agrobacterium tumefaciens elevates Ti plasmid copy number by activating transcription of plasmid replication genes

TraR, a LuxR-type quorum-sensing transcription factor in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, activates genes required for conjugal transfer of the Ti plasmid and also enhances the copy number of a nopaline-type Ti plasmid. Here, we show that TraR increases the copy number of an octopine-type Ti plasmid up to eightfold and that TraR activates transcription of the repABC operon up to 25-fold. The ability of TraR to increase copy number was strictly dependent on several TraR-activated promoters of this operon, indicating that TraR affects copy number solely at the level of transcription. Promoter resections and mRNA transcript analysis revealed the presence of three TraR-dependent promoters. Two TraR-dependent transcription start sites are located 45.5 and 65.5 nucleotides downstream of a site called tra box II, whereas the third start site lies 42.5 nucleotides downstream of a site called tra box III. Purified TraR bound to both tra boxes with comparable affinities, causing moderate DNA bending. TraR bound and bent these two sites independently rather than synergistically. Alteration of tra box III to match the consensus sequence dramatically increased TraR-dependent expression of repABC and plasmid copy number. TraR-dependent elevation of Ti plasmid copy number caused a three- to fourfold increase in plant tumorigenesis.

Region 4 of sigma as a target for transcription regulation

Bacterial sigma factors play a key role in promoter recognition, making direct contact with conserved promoter elements. Most sigma factors belong to the sigma70 family, named for the primary sigma factor in Escherichia coli. Members of the sigma70 family typically share four conserved regions and, here, we focus on region 4, which is directly involved in promoter recognition and serves as a target for a variety of regulators of transcription initiation. We review recent advances in the understanding of the mechanism of action of regulators that target region 4 of sigma.

Selective regulation of ptsG expression by Fis. Formation of either activating or repressing nucleoprotein complex in response to glucose

Transcription of ptsG encoding glucose-specific permease, enzyme IICB(Glc), in Escherichia coli is initiated from two promoters, P1 and P2. ptsG transcription is repressed by Mlc, a glucose-inducible regulator of carbohydrate metabolism. The regulation of ptsG P1 transcription is also under positive control by cyclic AMP receptor protein and cyclic AMP complex (CRP.cAMP) as observed in other Mlc regulon. We report here that Fis, one of the nucleoid-associated proteins, plays a key role in glucose induction of Mlc regulon. ptsG transcription was induced when wild-type cells were grown in the presence of glucose. However, in a fis mutant, the basal level of ptsG transcription was higher but decreased when cells were grown in the presence of glucose, which implies the possibility of regulatory interactions among Fis, Mlc, and CRP.cAMP. Footprinting experiments with various probes and transcription assays revealed that Fis assists both Mlc repression and CRP.cAMP activation of ptsG P1 through the formation of Fis.CRP.Mlc or Fis.CRP nucleoprotein complexes at ptsG P1 promoter depending on the availability of glucose in the growth medium. ptsG P2 transcription was inhibited by Fis and Mlc. Tighter Mlc repression and enhanced CRP.cAMP activation of ptsG P1 by Fis enable cells to regulate Mlc regulon efficiently by selectively controlling the concentration of enzyme IICB(Glc) that modulates Mlc activity.

Functional roles of loops 3 and 4 in the cyclic nucleotide binding domain of cyclic AMP receptor protein from Escherichia coli

Cyclic AMP is a ubiquitous secondary message that regulates a large variety of functions. The protein structural motif that binds cAMP is highly conserved with the exception of loops 3 and 4, whose structure and length are variable. The cAMP receptor protein of Escherichia coli, CRP, was employed as a model system to elucidate the functional roles of these loops. Based on the sequence differences between CRP and cyclic nucleotide gated channel, three mutants of CRP were constructed: deletion (residues 54-56 in loop 3 were deleted), insertion (loop 4 was lengthened by 5 residues between Glu-78 and Gly-79) and double mutants. The effects of these mutations on the structure and function of CRP were monitored. Results show that the deletion and insertion mutations do not significantly change the secondary structure of CRP, although the tertiary and quaternary structures are perturbed. The functional data indicate that loop 3 modulates the binding affinities of cAMP and DNA. Although the lengthened loop 4 may have some fine-tuning functions, the specific function of the original loop 4 of CRP remains uncertain. The function consequences of mutation in loop 3 of CRP are similar to that of site A and site B in the regulatory subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases. Thus, the roles played by loop 3 in CRP may represent a more common mechanism employed by cyclic nucleotide binding domain in modulating ligand binding affinity and intramolecular communication.

Interaction of CRP L124 with cAMP affects CRP cAMP binding constants, cAMP binding cooperativity, and CRP allostery

A cyclic nucleotide-binding pocket of the CRP dimer is composed of amino acid residues contributed by both subunits. Leucine (L) 124 of one subunit packs against the adenine ring of cAMP bound to the opposing subunit. We have undertaken a study designed to evaluate the role of L124 in CRP allostery. Wild-type (WT) apo-CRP is a 47 kDa protease-resistant dimer composed of identical subunits that exhibits a biphasic isotherm in cAMP titration studies. The WT CRP-cAMP complex is a protease-sensitive dimer degraded by protease to a dimer core that ranges between 26.5 and 30.5 kDa. Substitution of L124 with isoleucine (I), valine (V), cysteine (C), or alanine (A) generated a series of CRP variants that exhibited unique differences in apo-CRP resistance to protease, the mass of the core fragments generated in protease digestion reactions, cAMP-mediated allostery, and CRP-cAMP complex functionality. Differences in the affinity of the position 124 CRP variants for cAMP were observed. The binding constants that drive the formation of the WT and L124I CRP-cAMP complexes deviated by not more than a factor of 1.5. In contrast, the L124V, L124A, and L124C forms of CRP exhibited both a decreased K(cAMP1)(app) and an increased K(cAMP2)(app) to produce 2.4-, 55-, and 204-fold reductions, respectively, in the difference between these two parameters compared to that observed for WT CRP. The data indicate that the van der Waals volume and/or the hyrophobicity of the L124 side chain are important determinants of CRP cAMP binding properties and affect, either directly or indirectly, cAMP-mediated conformation changes in CRP.

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies of conformational changes induced by cyclic AMP and DNA binding to cyclic AMP receptor protein from Escherichia coli

cAMP receptor protein (CRP), allosterically activated by cAMP, regulates the expression of several genes in Escherichia coli. As binding of cAMP leads to undefined conformational changes in CRP, we performed a steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence study to show how the binding of the ligand influences the structure and dynamics of the protein. We used CRP mutants containing a single tryptophan residue at position 85 or 13, and fluorescently labeled with 1,5-I-AEDANS attached to Cys178. Binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex leads to changes in the Trp13 microenvironment, whereas its binding in the CRP-(cAMP)4 complex alters the surroundings of Trp85. Time-resolved anisotropy measurements indicated that cAMP binding in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex led to a substantial increase in the rotational mobility of the Trp13 residue. Measurement of fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) between labeled Cys178 and Trp85 showed that the binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex caused a substantial increase in FRET efficiency. This indicates a decrease in the distance between the two domains of the protein from 26.6 A in apo-CRP to 18.7 A in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex. The binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)4 complex resulted in only a very small increase in FRET efficiency. The average distance between the two domains in CRP-DNA complexes, possessing lac, gal or ICAP sequences, shows an increase, as evidenced by the increase in the average distance between Cys178 and Trp85 to approximately 20 A. The spectral changes observed provide new structural information about the cAMP-induced allosteric activation of the protein.

Interaction of cAMP receptor protein from Escherichia coli with cAMP and DNA studied by differential scanning calorimetry

The cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) regulates the expression of many genes in Escherichia coli. The protein is a homodimer, and each monomer is folded into two distinct structural domains. In this study, we have used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD) to measure the enthalpy change and melting temperature of the apo-CRP and CRP complexes with cAMP or DNA sequences lac, gal, and palindromic ICAP. DSC and CD measurements showed irreversible thermal denaturation process of CRP. Enthalpy of dissociation of the protein-DNA complex, as measured by DSC, depends on the DNA sequence. The thermal transition of the protein in CRP-DNA complexes, measured by CD, indicates that the protein stability in the complex is also DNA sequence-dependent.

A regulatory protein that interferes with activator-stimulated transcription in bacteria

Transcriptional activator proteins in bacteria often operate by interaction with the C-terminal domain of the alpha-subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP). Here we report the discovery of an "anti-alpha" factor Spx in Bacillus subtilis that blocks transcriptional activation by binding to the alpha-C-terminal domain, thereby interfering with the capacity of RNAP to respond to certain activator proteins. Spx disrupts complex formation between the activator proteins ResD and ComA and promoter-bound RNAP, and it does so by direct interaction with the alpha-subunit. ResD- and ComA-stimulated transcription requires the proteolytic elimination of Spx by the ATP-dependent protease ClpXP. Spx represents a class of transcriptional regulators that inhibit activator-stimulated transcription by interaction with alpha.

Identification of an unknown promoter, OUTIIp, within the IS10R element

A novel promoter in IS10R (OUTIIp) has been found in one of its ends in an inverted position relative to promoter pOUT. OUTIIp shows characteristics similar to those of rpoS-dependent promoters such as a gearbox expression pattern. It is under catabolite repression and positively regulated by ppGpp or conditioned media. This opens new challenges in IS10R transposition.

Purification and in vitro characterization of the Serratia marcescens NucC protein, a zinc-binding transcription factor homologous to P2 Ogr

NucC is structurally and functionally homologous to a family of prokaryotic zinc finger transcription factors required for late gene expression in P2- and P4-related bacteriophages. Characterization of these proteins in vitro has been hampered by their relative insolubility and tendency to aggregate. We report here the successful purification of soluble, active, wild-type NucC protein. Purified NucC exhibits site-specific binding to a conserved DNA sequence that is located upstream of NucC-dependent Serratia marcescens promoters and the late promoters of P2-related phages. This sequence is sufficient for binding of NucC in vitro. NucC binding to the S. marcescens nuclease promoter P(nucA) and to the sequence upstream of the P2 late promoter P(F) is accompanied by DNA bending. NucC protects about 25 nucleotides of the P(F) upstream region from DNase I digestion, and RNA polymerase protects the promoter region only in the presence of NucC. Template DNA, RNA polymerase holoenzyme, and purified NucC are the only macromolecular components required for transcription from P(F) in vitro.

Carbohydrate-induced differential gene expression patterns in the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima

The hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima MSB8 was grown on a variety of carbohydrates to determine the influence of carbon and energy source on differential gene expression. Despite the fact that T. maritima has been phylogenetically characterized as a primitive microorganism from an evolutionary perspective, results here suggest that it has versatile and discriminating mechanisms for regulating and effecting complex carbohydrate utilization. Growth of T. maritima on monosaccharides was found to be slower than growth on polysaccharides, although growth to cell densities of 10(8) to 10(9) cells/ml was observed on all carbohydrates tested. Differential expression of genes encoding carbohydrate-active proteins encoded in the T. maritima genome was followed using a targeted cDNA microarray in conjunction with mixed model statistical analysis. Coordinated regulation of genes responding to specific carbohydrates was noted. Although glucose generally repressed expression of all glycoside hydrolase genes, other sugars induced or repressed these genes to varying extents. Expression profiles of most endo-acting glycoside hydrolase genes correlated well with their reported biochemical properties, although exo-acting glycoside hydrolase genes displayed less specific expression patterns. Genes encoding selected putative ABC sugar transporters were found to respond to specific carbohydrates, and in some cases putative oligopeptide transporter genes were also found to respond to specific sugar substrates. Several genes encoding putative transcriptional regulators were expressed during growth on specific sugars, thus suggesting functional assignments. The transcriptional response of T. maritima to specific carbohydrate growth substrates indicated that sugar backbone- and linkage-specific regulatory networks are operational in this organism during the uptake and utilization of carbohydrate substrates. Furthermore, the wide ranging collection of such networks in T. maritima suggests that this organism is capable of adapting to a variety of growth environments containing carbohydrate growth substrates.

Entropic nature of the interaction between promoter bound CRP mutants and RNA polymerase

The interaction between CRP, T127L, S128A, and CRP and RNA polymerase bound to a 104 bp synthetic promoter were determined by ITC at 298 K and ranges from a deltaG(b) degrees = 1.4 +/- 0.8 kJ mol(-)(1) (cAMP-ligated S128A) to 4.5 +/- 0.3 kJ mol(-)(1) (cAMP-ligated double mutant CRP) with endothermicities that range from 4 +/- 3 kJ mol(-)(1) (cAMP-ligated CRP) to 47 +/- 8 kJ mol(-)(1) (cGMP-ligated T127L). The interaction is, thus, entropically driven, exhibits enthalpy-entropy compensation, and increases the binding affinity of the RNA polymerase to the promoter by factors ranging from 1.7 +/- 0.1 (cAMP-ligated S128A) to 6.1 +/- 0.1 (cAMP-ligated CRP). Although the binding affinities to the promoter alone, except for cAMP-ligated S128A, are the same as to a shorter 40 bp duplex containing the same CRP consensus binding site sequence (conDNA), the binding enthalpies of CRP/mutant to the promoter are lower by factors of 2-3 x than the corresponding binding enthalpies to conDNA. Small angle neutron scattering measurements on the DNA-CRP/mutant complexes in D(2)O/H(2)O solutions exhibit an increase in the Rg of the CRP/mutant component from 22 to 27-31 A that can be attributed to a conformational change in the N-terminal domain of CRP. The Rg = 27 A for the bound conDNA can be attributed to a slight unwinding of the DNA in solution that would also enhance the activation of transcription. The Rg = 53 +/- 3 A for the bound promoter is attributed to bending of the promoter in solution that can be responsible for the lower CRP/mutant-promoter binding endothermicities.

Repositioning about the dimer interface of the transcription regulator CooA: a major signal transduction pathway between the effector and DNA-binding domains

Activation of the homodimeric transcriptional regulator CooA depends on the coupling of CO binding at an effector domain heme with the allosteric repositioning of the DNA-binding domain F-helix that promotes specific DNA interaction. By analogy to the homologous cAMP receptor protein (CRP), it has been proposed that effector binding elicits subunit reorientation about their coiled-coil C-helix interface, and that this effector domain reorientation stabilizes the active position of the DNA-binding domains. Here, we describe experiments in which effector-independent "CooA*" variants were selected following randomization of a six-residue portion of the C-helix dimerization domain. Subsequent activity analyses, both in vivo and in vitro, were consistent with a model wherein improved C-helix "leucine zipper" interactions modestly shifted the regulator population equilibrium towards the active conformation, although full activation remained CO-dependent. However, in addition to the improved leucine zipper, maximal CooA* activity required additional C-helix changes which in a WT background decreased normal CO-dependent DNA-binding 100-fold. This seemingly paradoxical combination suggested that maximal CooA* activity depended both on the improved coiled-coil interactions and the decoupling of the signal pathway within the effector domain. Both types of C-helix changes indicate that its repositioning is crucial for the allosteric shift in the inactive/active equilibrium of the DNA-binding domain.

The response regulator BvgA and RNA polymerase alpha subunit C-terminal domain bind simultaneously to different faces of the same segment of promoter DNA

Examination of the binding of FeBABE-conjugated BvgA to the fha promoter of Bordetella pertussis has revealed that three dimers, formed by head-to-head association of monomers, bind one face of the DNA helix from the inverted-heptad primary binding site to the -35 region. The orientation of BvgA monomers within the dimers is the same as that recently demonstrated by X-ray crystallographic methods for a dimer of the C-terminal domain of NarL bound to DNA. Use of FeBABE conjugates of RNAP alpha subunit C-terminal domain showed that binding of this domain is linearly coincident with binding of the BvgA dimers, but to a different helical face. These results reveal a previously undescribed mode of interaction between RNAP alpha-CTD and a transcriptional activator.

Isolation of a negative control mutant of the nitrogen assimilation control protein, NAC, in Klebsiella aerogenes

A negative control mutant of the nitrogen assimilation control protein, NAC, has been isolated. Mutants with the leucine at position 111 changed to a nonhydrophobic residue activate transcription from hut and ure promoters, but fail to repress gdhA expression. This failure does not result from failure to bind to either of the two sites required for gdhA repression, but the binding at those sites is altered in the mutant. It appears that the NAC negative control mutants fail to form the complex structures (probably tetramers) formed by wild-type NAC at the gdhA promoter.

The Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein bound at a single target can activate transcription initiation at divergent promoters: a systematic study that exploits new promoter probe plasmids

We report the first detailed quantitative study of divergent promoters dependent on the Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein (CRP), a factor known to activate transcription initiation at target promoters by making direct interactions with the RNA polymerase holoenzyme. In this work, we show that CRP bound at a single target site is able to activate transcription at two divergently organized promoters. Experiments using promoter probe plasmids, designed to study divergent promoters in vivo and in vitro, show that the divergent promoters function independently. Further in vitro experiments show that two holo RNA polymerase molecules cannot be accommodated simultaneously at the divergent promoters.

Self-perpetuating epigenetic pili switches in bacteria

Bacteria have developed an epigenetic phase variation mechanism to control cell surface pili-adhesin complexes between heritable expression (phase ON) and nonexpression (phase OFF) states. In the pyelonephritis-associated pili (pap) system, global regulators [catabolite gene activator protein (CAP), leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp), DNA adenine methylase (Dam)] and local regulators (PapI and PapB) control phase switching. Lrp binds cooperatively to three pap DNA binding sites, sites 1-3, proximal to the papBA pilin promoter in phase OFF cells, whereas Lrp is bound to sites 4-6 distal to papBA in phase ON cells. Two Dam methylation targets, GATC(prox) and GATC(dist), are located in Lrp binding sites 2 and 5, respectively. In phase OFF cells, binding of Lrp at sites 1-3 inhibits methylation of GATC(prox), forming the phase OFF DNA methylation pattern (GATC(dist) methylated, GATC(prox) nonmethylated). Binding of Lrp at sites 1-3 blocks pap pili transcription and reduces the affinity of Lrp for sites 4-6. Together with methylation of GATC(dist), which inhibits Lrp binding at sites 4-6, the phase OFF state is maintained. We hypothesize that transition to the phase ON state requires DNA replication to dissociate Lrp and generate a hemimethyated GATC(dist) site. PapI and methylation of GATC(prox) act together to increase the affinity of Lrp for sites 4-6. Binding of Lrp at the distal sites protects GATC(dist) from methylation, forming the phase ON methylation pattern (GATC(dist) nonmethyated, GATC(prox) methylated). Lrp binding at sites 4-6 together with cAMP-CAP binding 215.5 bp upstream of the papBA transcription start, is required for activation of pilin transcription. The first gene product of the papBA transcript, PapB, helps maintain the switch in the ON state by activating papI transcription, which in turn maintains Lrp binding at sites 4-6.

Protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions of sigma70 region 4 involved in transcription activation by lambdacI

The cI protein of bacteriophage lambda (lambdacI) activates transcription from promoter P(RM) through an acidic patch on the surface of its DNA-binding domain. Genetic evidence suggests that this acidic patch stimulates transcription from P(RM) through contact with the C-terminal domain (region 4) of the sigma(70) subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Here, we identify two basic residues in region 4 of sigma(70) that are critical for lambdacI-mediated activation of transcription from P(RM). On the basis of structural modeling, we propose that one of these sigma(70) residues, K593, facilitates the interaction between lambdacI and region 4 of sigma(70) by inducing a bend in the DNA upstream of the -35 element, whereas the other, R588, interacts directly with a critical acidic residue within the activating patch of lambdacI. Residue R588 of sigma(70) has been shown to play an important role in promoter recognition; our findings suggest that the R588 side-chain has a dual function at P(RM), facilitating the interaction of region 4 with the promoter -35 element and participating directly in the protein-protein interaction with lambdacI.

Expression of the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase gene from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp PCC 7942 depends on nitrogen availability and the global regulator NtcA

We report here transcriptional analyses of a cyanobacterial gene encoding an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS), the gltX gene from Synechoccocus sp. PCC 7942, coding for the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase. We show that the transcript levels of gltX in Synechococcus depend on nitrogen availability and do not increase with the growth rate, which is at odds with observations from other bacteria. We also demonstrate the involvement of the cyanobacterial global regulator NtcA in transcriptional control of gltX according to nitrogen status. Our results support a regulatory model in which the gltX transcript level is finely tuned by a dynamic equilibrium between activation and repression relying upon the cellular concentration of NtcA.

Transcription activation by FNR: evidence for a functional activating region 2

The FNR protein of Escherichia coli controls the transcription of target genes in response to anoxia via the assembly-disassembly of oxygen-labile iron-sulfur clusters. Previous work identified patches of surface-exposed amino acids (designated activating regions 1 and 3 [AR1 and AR3, respectively]) of FNR which allow it to communicate with RNA polymerase (RNAP) and thereby activate transcription. Previously it was thought that FNR lacks a functional activating region 2 (AR2), although selecting for mutations that compensate for defective AR1 or a miscoordinated iron-sulfur cluster can reactivate AR2. Here we show that the substitution of two surface-exposed lysine residues (Lys49 and Lys50) of FNR impaired transcription from class II (FNR box centered at -41.5) but not class I (FNR box centered at -71.5) FNR-dependent promoters. The degree of impairment was greater when a negatively charged residue (Glu) replaced either Lys49 or Lys50 than when uncharged amino acid Ala was substituted. Oriented heterodimers were used to show that only the downstream subunit of the FNR dimer was affected by the Lys-->Ala substitutions at a class II promoter. Site-directed mutagenesis of a negatively charged patch ((162)EEDE(165)) within the N-terminal domain of the RNAP alpha subunit that interacts with the positively charged AR2 of the cyclic AMP receptor protein suggested that Lys49 and Lys50 of FNR interact with this region of the alpha subunit of RNAP. Thus, it was suggested that Lys49 and Lys50 form part of a functional AR2 in FNR.

Requirement for two copies of RNA polymerase alpha subunit C-terminal domain for synergistic transcription activation at complex bacterial promoters

Transcription activation by the Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) at different promoters has been studied using RNA polymerase holoenzyme derivatives containing two full-length alpha subunits, or containing one full-length alpha subunit and one truncated alpha subunit lacking the alpha C-terminal domain (alpha CTD). At a promoter having a single DNA site for CRP, activation requires only one full-length alpha subunit. Likewise, at a promoter having a single DNA site for CRP and one adjacent UP-element subsite (high-affinity DNA site for alpha CTD), activation requires only one full-length alpha subunit. In contrast, at promoters having two DNA sites for CRP, or one DNA site for CRP and two UP-element subsites, activation requires two full-length alpha subunits. We conclude that a single copy of alpha CTD is sufficient to interact with one CRP molecule and one adjacent UP-element subsite, but two copies of alpha CTD are required to interact with two CRP molecules or with one CRP molecule and two UP-element subsites.

MetR and CRP bind to the Vibrio harveyi lux promoters and regulate luminescence

The induction of luminescence in Vibrio harveyi at the later stages of growth is controlled by a quorum-sensing mechanism in addition to nutritional signals. However, the mechanism of transmission of these signals directly to the lux promoters is unknown and only one regulatory protein, LuxR, has been shown to bind directly to lux promoter DNA. In this report, we have cloned and sequenced two genes, crp and metR, coding for the nutritional regulators, CRP (cAMP receptor protein) and MetR (a LysR homologue), involved in catabolite repression and methionine biosynthesis respectively. The metR gene was cloned based on a general strategy to detect lux DNA-binding proteins expressed from a genomic library, whereas the crp gene was cloned based on its complementation of an Escherichia coli crp mutant. Both CRP and MetR were shown to bind to lux promoter DNA, with CRP being dependent on the presence of cAMP. Expression studies indicated that the two regulators had opposite effects on luminescence: CRP was an activator and MetR a repressor. Disruption of crp decreased luminescence by about 1,000-fold showing that CRP is a major activator of luminescence the same as LuxR, whereas disruption of MetR resulted in activation of luminescence over 10-fold, confirming its function as a repressor. Comparison of the levels of the autoinducers involved in quorum sensing excreted by V. harveyi, and the crp and metR mutants, showed that autoinducer production was not significantly different, thus indicating that the nutritional signals do not affect luminescence by changing the levels of the signals required for quorum sensing. Indeed, the large effects of these nutritional sensors show that luminescence is controlled by multiple signals related to the environment and the cell density which must be integrated at the molecular level to control expression at the lux promoters.

Signal transduction and regulatory mechanisms involved in control of the sigma(S) (RpoS) subunit of RNA polymerase

The sigma(S) (RpoS) subunit of RNA polymerase is the master regulator of the general stress response in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. While rapidly growing cells contain very little sigma(S), exposure to many different stress conditions results in rapid and strong sigma(S) induction. Consequently, transcription of numerous sigma(S)-dependent genes is activated, many of which encode gene products with stress-protective functions. Multiple signal integration in the control of the cellular sigma(S) level is achieved by rpoS transcriptional and translational control as well as by regulated sigma(S) proteolysis, with various stress conditions differentially affecting these levels of sigma(S) control. Thus, a reduced growth rate results in increased rpoS transcription whereas high osmolarity, low temperature, acidic pH, and some late-log-phase signals stimulate the translation of already present rpoS mRNA. In addition, carbon starvation, high osmolarity, acidic pH, and high temperature result in stabilization of sigma(S), which, under nonstress conditions, is degraded with a half-life of one to several minutes. Important cis-regulatory determinants as well as trans-acting regulatory factors involved at all levels of sigma(S) regulation have been identified. rpoS translation is controlled by several proteins (Hfq and HU) and small regulatory RNAs that probably affect the secondary structure of rpoS mRNA. For sigma(S) proteolysis, the response regulator RssB is essential. RssB is a specific direct sigma(S) recognition factor, whose affinity for sigma(S) is modulated by phosphorylation of its receiver domain. RssB delivers sigma(S) to the ClpXP protease, where sigma(S) is unfolded and completely degraded. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the molecular functions and interactions of these components and tries to establish a framework for further research on the mode of multiple signal input into this complex regulatory system.

Structural basis of transcription activation: the CAP-alpha CTD-DNA complex

The Escherichia coli catabolite activator protein (CAP) activates transcription at P(lac), P(gal), and other promoters through interactions with the RNA polymerase alpha subunit carboxyl-terminal domain (alphaCTD). We determined the crystal structure of the CAP-alphaCTD-DNA complex at a resolution of 3.1 angstroms. CAP makes direct protein-protein interactions with alphaCTD, and alphaCTD makes direct protein-DNA interactions with the DNA segment adjacent to the DNA site for CAP. There are no large-scale conformational changes in CAP and alphaCTD, and the interface between CAP and alphaCTD is small. These findings are consistent with the proposal that activation involves a simple "recruitment" mechanism.

Role of the C-terminal domain of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase in LuxR-dependent transcriptional activation of the lux operon during quorum sensing

During quorum sensing in Vibrio fischeri, the luminescence, or lux, operon is regulated in a cell density-dependent manner by the activator LuxR in the presence of an acylated homoserine lactone autoinducer molecule [N-(3-oxohexanoyl) homoserine lactone]. LuxR, which binds to the lux operon promoter at a position centered at -42.5 relative to the transcription initiation site, is thought to function as an ambidextrous activator making multiple contacts with RNA polymerase (RNAP). The specific role of the alpha-subunit C-terminal domain (alphaCTD) of RNAP in LuxR-dependent transcriptional activation of the lux operon promoter has been investigated. The effects of 70 alanine substitution variants of the alpha subunit were determined in vivo by measuring the rate of transcription of the lux operon via luciferase assays in recombinant Escherichia coli. The mutant RNAPs from strains exhibiting at least twofold-increased or -decreased activity in comparison to the wild type were further examined by in vitro assays. Since full-length LuxR has not been purified, an autoinducer-independent N-terminally truncated form of LuxR, LuxRDeltaN, was used for in vitro studies. Single-round transcription assays were performed using reconstituted mutant RNAPs in the presence of LuxRDeltaN, and 14 alanine substitutions in the alphaCTD were identified as having negative effects on the rate of transcription from the lux operon promoter. Five of these 14 alpha variants were also involved in the mechanisms of both LuxR- and LuxRDeltaN-dependent activation in vivo. The positions of these residues lie roughly within the 265 and 287 determinants in alpha that have been identified through studies of the cyclic AMP receptor protein and its interactions with RNAP. This suggests a model where residues 262, 265, and 296 in alpha play roles in DNA recognition and residues 290 and 314 play roles in alpha-LuxR interactions at the lux operon promoter during quorum sensing.

Structure of the yeast RNA polymerase II holoenzyme: Mediator conformation and polymerase interaction

The holoenzyme formed by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) and the Mediator complex is the target of transcriptional regulators in vivo. A three-dimensional structure of the yeast holoenzyme has been generated from electron microscopic images of single holoenzyme particles. Extensive changes in Mediator conformation required for interaction with RNAPII have been modeled by correlating the polymerase-bound and free Mediator structures. Determination of the precise orientation of the RNAPII in the holoenzyme indicates that Mediator contacts are centered on the RNAPII Rpb3/Rpb11 heterodimer, the eukaryotic homolog of the alpha(2) homodimer involved in transcription regulation in prokaryotes. Implications for the possible mechanism of transcription regulation by Mediator are discussed.

The bacteriophage T4 transcription activator MotA interacts with the far-C-terminal region of the sigma70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase

Transcription from bacteriophage T4 middle promoters uses Escherichia coli RNA polymerase together with the T4 transcriptional activator MotA and the T4 coactivator AsiA. AsiA binds tightly within the C-terminal portion of the sigma70 subunit of RNA polymerase, while MotA binds to the 9-bp MotA box motif, which is centered at -30, and also interacts with sigma70. We show here that the N-terminal half of MotA (MotA(NTD)), which is thought to include the activation domain, interacts with the C-terminal region of sigma70 in an E. coli two-hybrid assay. Replacement of the C-terminal 17 residues of sigma70 with comparable sigma38 residues abolishes the interaction with MotA(NTD) in this assay, as does the introduction of the amino acid substitution R608C. Furthermore, in vitro transcription experiments indicate that a polymerase reconstituted with a sigma70 that lacks C-terminal amino acids 604 to 613 or 608 to 613 is defective for MotA-dependent activation. We also show that a proteolyzed fragment of MotA that contains the C-terminal half (MotA(CTD)) binds DNA with a K(D(app)) that is similar to that of full-length MotA. Our results support a model for MotA-dependent activation in which protein-protein contact between DNA-bound MotA and the far-C-terminal region of sigma70 helps to substitute functionally for an interaction between sigma70 and a promoter -35 element.

Spot 42 RNA mediates discoordinate expression of the E. coli galactose operon

The physiological role of Escherichia coli Spot 42 RNA has remained obscure, even though the 109-nucleotide RNA was discovered almost three decades ago. Structural features of Spot 42 RNA and previous work suggested to us that the RNA might be a regulator of discoordinate gene expression of the galactose operon, a control that is only understood at the phenomenological level. The effects of controlled expression of Spot 42 RNA or deleting the gene (spf) encoding the RNA supported this hypothesis. Down-regulation of galK expression, the third gene in the gal operon, was only observed in the presence of Spot 42 RNA and required growth conditions that caused derepression of the spf gene. Subsequent biochemical studies showed that Spot 42 RNA specifically bound at the galK Shine-Dalgarno region of the galETKM mRNA, thereby blocking ribosome binding. We conclude that Spot 42 RNA is an antisense RNA that acts to differentially regulate genes that are expressed from the same transcription unit. Our results reveal an interesting mechanism by which the expression of a promoter distal gene in an operon can be modulated and underline the importance of antisense control in bacterial gene regulation.

The Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein forms a 2:2 complex with RNA polymerase holoenzyme, in vitro

Sedimentation equilibrium studies show that the Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CAP) and RNA polymerase holoenzyme associate to form a 2:2 complex in vitro. No complexes of lower stoichiometry (1:1, 2:1, 1:2) were detected over a wide range of CAP and RNA polymerase concentrations, suggesting that the interaction is highly cooperative. The absence of higher stoichiometry complexes, even in the limit of high [protein], suggests that the 2:2 species represents binding saturation for this system. The 2:2 pattern of complex formation is robust. A lower-limit estimate of the formation constant in our standard buffer (40 mm Tris (pH 7.9), 10 mm MgCl(2), 0.1 mm dithiothreitol, 5% glycerol, 100 mm KCl) is 2 x 10(20) m(-3). The qualitative pattern of association is unchanged over the temperature range 4 degrees C < or = T < or = 20 degrees C, by substitution of glutamate for chloride as the dominant anion, or on addition of 20 microm cAMP to the reaction mix. These results limit the possible mechanisms of CAP-polymerase association. In addition, they support the idea that CAP binding may influence the availability of the monomeric form of RNA polymerase that mediates transcription at many promoters.

Mutational scanning and affinity cleavage analysis of UhpA-binding sites in the Escherichia coli uhpT promoter

UhpA, a member of the NarL family of response regulators, activates transcription of the Escherichia coli uhpT gene for the sugar phosphate transporter UhpT in response to extracellular glucose-6-phosphate. UhpA binds with different affinities to adjacent regions in the uhpT promoter, termed the strong-binding (S) region from -80 to -50 and the weak-binding (W) region from -50 to -32. Transcription activation by UhpA is stimulated by the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP)-cyclic AMP complex and depends on the C-terminal domains of the RNA polymerase RpoA and RpoD subunits. Because single-base substitutions in the UhpA-binding region had little effect on promoter activity, nucleotide substitutions in successive 4-bp blocks throughout this region were examined for their effects on promoter activation and UhpA binding. Changes in three of four blocks within the W region substantially impaired the ability of UhpA to bind to this region, to drive expression of a uhpT-lacZ reporter, and to support UhpA-dependent in vitro transcription. These W region variant promoters were strongly stimulated by CAP. Changes in several parts of the S region impaired UhpA binding to both the S and W regions and decreased promoter activity in vivo and in vitro. Thus, binding of UhpA to the W region is crucial for UhpA-dependent activation and depends on occupancy of the S region. None of these substitutions eliminated promoter function. The orientation of UhpA-binding sites was assessed by the affinity cleavage method. The iron chelate FeBABE [iron (S)-1-(p-bromoacetamidobenzyl) EDTA] was covalently attached to engineered cysteine residues near the DNA-binding region in UhpA. Hydroxyl radicals generated by the iron chelate attached at position 187 resulted in DNA strand cleavages in two clusters of sites located in the middle of the S and W regions. These results are consistent with the binding of two dimers of UhpA. Each dimer binds to an inverted repeat of monomer-binding sites with the consensus sequence CCTGRR, where R is A or G, and each is separated by 6 bp. It is likely that members of the NarL family bind to dyad targets, in contrast to the binding of OmpR family response regulators to direct-repeat targets.

Architectural requirements for optimal activation by tandem CRP molecules at a class I CRP-dependent promoter

The Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) activates transcription at target promoters by interacting with the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit. We have constructed a set of promoters carrying tandem DNA sites for CRP with one site centred at position -61.5 and the other site located at different upstream positions. Optimal CRP-dependent activation of transcription is observed when the upstream DNA site for CRP is located at position -93.5 or at position -103.5. Evidence is presented to suggest that activation by the upstream-bound CRP molecule is due to interaction with the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit.

Carbon catabolite repression in bacteria: choice of the carbon source and autoregulatory limitation of sugar utilization

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) in bacteria is generally regarded as a regulatory mechanism to ensure sequential utilization of carbohydrates. Selection of the carbon sources is mainly made at the level of carbohydrate-specific induction. Since virtually all carbohydrate catabolic genes or operons are regulated by specific control proteins and require inducers for high level expression, direct control of the activity of regulators or control of inducer formation is an efficient measure to keep them silent. By these mechanisms, bacteria are able to establish a hierarchy of sugar utilization. In addition to the control of induction processes by CCR, bacteria have developed global transcriptional regulation circuits, in which pleiotropic regulators are activated. These global control proteins, the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP), also known as cAMP receptor protein, in Escherichia coli or the catabolite control protein (CcpA) in Gram-positive bacteria with low GC content, act upon a large number of catabolic genes/operons. Since practically any carbon source is able to trigger global transcriptional control, expression of sugar utilization genes is restricted even in the sole presence of their cognate substrates. Consequently, CAP- or CcpA-dependent catabolite repression serves as an autoregulatory device to keep sugar utilization at a certain level rather than to establish preferential utilization of certain carbon sources. Together with other autoregulatory mechanisms that are not acting at the gene expression level, CCR helps bacteria to adjust sugar utilization to their metabolic capacities. Therefore, catabolic/metabolic balance would perhaps better describe the physiological role of this regulatory network than the term catabolite repression.

Conformational flexibility of bacterial RNA polymerase

The structure of Escherichia coli core RNA polymerase (RNAP) was determined by cryo-electron microscopy and image processing of helical crystals to a nominal resolution of 15 A. Because of the high sequence conservation between the core RNAP subunits, we were able to interpret the E. coli structure in relation to the high-resolution x-ray structure of Thermus aquaticus core RNAP. A very large conformational change of the T. aquaticus RNAP x-ray structure, corresponding to opening of the main DNA/RNA channel by nearly 25 A, was required to fit the E. coli map. This finding reveals, at least partially, the range of conformational flexibility of the RNAP, which is likely to have functional implications for the initiation of transcription, where the DNA template must be loaded into the channel.

Determinants of the C-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit important for transcription at class I cyclic AMP receptor protein-dependent promoters

Alanine scanning of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit C-terminal domain (alphaCTD) was used to identify amino acid side chains important for class I cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP)-dependent transcription. Key residues were investigated further in vivo and in vitro. Substitutions in three regions of alphaCTD affected class I CRP-dependent transcription from the CC(-61.5) promoter and/or the lacP1 promoter. These regions are (i) the 287 determinant, previously shown to contact CRP during class II CRP-dependent transcription; (ii) the 265 determinant, previously shown to be important for alphaCTD-DNA interactions, including those required for class II CRP-dependent transcription; and (iii) the 261 determinant. We conclude that CRP contacts the same target in alphaCTD, the 287 determinant, at class I and class II CRP-dependent promoters. We also conclude that the relative contributions of individual residues within the 265 determinant depend on promoter sequence, and we discuss explanations for effects of substitutions in the 261 determinant.

Ability of E. coli cyclic AMP receptor protein to differentiate cyclic nucelotides: effects of single site mutations

Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is a global transcriptional regulator which controls the expression of many different genes. Although different cyclic nucleotides can bind to CRP with almost equal affinity, only in the presence of cAMP could wild-type CRP bind to specific DNA sequences. Molecular genetic studies have identified a class of mutants, CRP*, which either do not require exogenous cAMP for activation or can be activated by cGMP. Thus, these mutants might aid in identifying the structural elements that are involved in the modulation of CRP to correctly differentiate the messages embedded in cyclic nucleotides. In this in vitro study, five CRP* mutants, namely, D53H, S62F, G141Q, G141K, and L148R, were tested for their abilities to bind the lac promoter sequence and the effects of cyclic nucleotides in modulating DNA sequence recognition. For comparison, non-CRP* mutants K52N, T127L, H159L, and K52N/H159L were studied. cCMP and cGMP can replace cAMP as an allosteric effector in all of these CRP mutants except S62F and non-CRP* mutants. The D53H, G141Q, G141K, and L148R mutants exhibit significantly higher affinity for the lac promoter sequence than wild-type CRP while S62F and the non-CRP* mutants exhibit reduced affinity. To probe the pathway of communication, the energetics of subunit assembly in these mutants were monitored by sedimentation equilibrium, and the conformational states of these mutants were probed by proteolysis and accessibility of Cys178 to chemical modifications. Results from these studies imply that signals due to mutations are mostly transmitted through the subunit interface. Thus, residues in CRP outside of the cyclic nucleotide binding site modulate the ability of CRP to differentiate these three cyclic nucleotides through long-range communication. Furthermore, this study shows that CRP* mutations do not impart any unique properties to CRP except that the DNA binding constants are shifted to a regime of higher affinity.

ToxR interferes with CRP-dependent transcriptional activation of ompT in Vibrio cholerae

In pathogenic Vibrio cholerae, the transmembrane DNA-binding protein ToxR co-ordinates the expression of over 20 genes, including those encoding important virulence factors such as cholera toxin and the toxin-co-regulated pilus. The outer membrane protein OmpT is the only member of the ToxR regulon known to be repressed by ToxR. In this study, we examined the environmental conditions that regulate OmpT expression and demonstrated that ompT transcription is upregulated 14-fold when the bacteria enter late log phase from early log phase. Deletion of the crp gene completely abolishes OmpT expression. Comparison of ompT transcription levels in the isogenic crp-, toxR- and crp-toxR- mutants revealed that (i) in the absence of ToxR, constitutive high-level ompT transcription is dependent on cAMP receptor protein (CRP); (ii) ToxR not only interferes with CRP-dependent ompT activation, but also abolishes the CRP-independent, basal level ompT transcription; thus, the mechanism by which ToxR represses ompT transcription involves both antiactivation and direct repression; (iii) both CRP and ToxR are required for the regulation of OmpT expression by growth phase. To provide further insights into the molecular mecha-nism of CRP-dependent activation of ompT transcription, we demonstrated that CRP-dependent activation requires a CRP binding site centred at -310 of the ompT promoter, without which the interaction of CRP with other CRP binding site(s) more proximal to the promoter results in repression. Mutations in two regions on CRP (AR1 and AR2) that directly contact RNA polymerase (RNAP) abolish activation, suggesting direct interaction of CRP with RNAP from -310 of the ompT promoter via DNA looping.

Identification and comparative analysis of the chloroplast alpha-subunit gene of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from seven Euglena species

When the sequence of the Euglena gracilis chloroplast genome was reported in 1993 the alpha-subunit gene (rpoA) of RNA polymerase appeared to be missing, based on a comparison of all putative reading frames to the then known rpoA loci. Since there has been a large increase in known rpoA sequences, the question of a Euglena chloroplast rpoA gene was re-examined. A previously described unknown reading frame of 161 codons was found to be part of an rpoA gene split by a single group III intron. This rpoA gene, which is highly variable from species to species, was then isolated and characterized in five other euglenoid species, Euglena anabaena, Euglena granulata, Euglena myxocylindracea, Euglena stellata and Euglena viridis, and in the Astasia longa plastid genome. All seven Euglena rpoA genes have either one or three group III introns. The rpoA gene products in Euglena spp. appear to be the most variable in this gene family when compared to the rpoA gene in other species of bacteria, algae and plants. Additionally, Euglena rpoA proteins lack a C-terminal domain required for interaction with some regulatory proteins, a feature shared only with some chlorophyte green algae. The E.gracilis rpoA gene is the distal cistron of a multigene cluster that includes genes for carbohydrate biosynthesis, photosynthetic electron transport, an antenna complex and ribosomal proteins. This study provides new insights into the transcription system of euglenoid plastids, the organization of the plastid genome, group III intron evolution and euglenoid phylogeny.

Architecture of Fis-activated transcription complexes at the Escherichia coli rrnB P1 and rrnE P1 promoters

The transcription factor Fis activates the Escherichia coli rRNA promoters rrnB P1 and rrnE P1 by binding to sites centered at -71 and -72, respectively, and interacting with the C-terminal domain of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP alphaCTD). To understand the mechanism of activation by Fis at these promoters, we used oriented alpha-heterodimeric RNAPs and heterodimers of Fis to determine whether one or both subunits of alpha and Fis participate in the alphaCTD-Fis interaction. Our results imply that only one alphaCTD in the alpha dimer and only one activation-proficient subunit in the Fis dimer are required for activation by Fis. A library of alanine substitutions in alpha was used to identify the alphaCTD determinants required for Fis-dependent transcription at rrnB P1 and rrnE P1. We propose that the transcriptional activation region of the promoter-proximal subunit of the Fis dimer interacts with a determinant that includes E273 of one alphaCTD to activate transcription. We further suggest that the Fis contact to alphaCTD results in alphaCTD interactions with DNA that differ somewhat from those that occur at UP elements in the absence of Fis. The accompanying paper shows that the 273 determinant on alphaCTD is also targeted by Fis at the proP P2 promoter where the activator binds overlapping the -35 hexamer. Thus, similar Fis-alphaCTD interactions are used for activation of transcription when the activator is bound at very different positions on the DNA.

The C-terminal domains of the RNA polymerase alpha subunits: contact site with Fis and localization during co-activation with CRP at the Escherichia coli proP P2 promoter

Fis is a versatile transactivator that functions at many different promoters. Fis activates transcription at the RpoS-dependent proP P2 promoter when bound to a site that overlaps the minus sign35 hexamer by a mechanism that requires the C-terminal domain of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase (alphaCTD). The region on Fis responsible for activating transcription through the alphaCTD has been localized to a short beta-turn near the DNA-binding determinant on one subunit of the Fis homodimer. We report here that Fis-dependent activation of proP P2 transcription requires two discrete regions on the alphaCTD. One region, consisting of residues 264-265 and 296-297, mediates DNA binding. A second patch, comprising amino acid residues 271-273, forms a ridge on the surface of the alphaCTD that we propose interacts with Fis. The accompanying paper shows that these same regions on alphaCTD are utilized for transcriptional activation at the rrnB and rrnE P1 promoters by Fis bound to a site upstream of the core promoter (centered at minus sign71/minus sign72). In addition to stimulation of proP P2 transcription by Fis, CRP co-activates this promoter when bound to a remote site upstream from the promoter (centered at -121.5). RNA polymerase preparations lacking one alphaCTD of the alpha dimer were employed to demonstrate that the beta'-associated alpha(II)CTD was utilized preferentially by Fis at proP P2 in the presence and absence of CRP. These experiments define the overall architecture of the proP P2 initiation complex where Fis and CRP each function through a different alphaCTD.

Molecular beacons for detecting DNA binding proteins

We report here a simple, rapid, homogeneous fluorescence assay, the molecular beacon assay, for the detection and quantification of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins. The central feature of the assay is the protein-dependent association of two DNA fragments each containing about half of a DNA sequence defining a protein-binding site. Protein-dependent association of DNA fragments can be detected by any proximity-based spectroscopic signal, such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between fluorochromes introduced into these DNA molecules. The assay is fully homogeneous and requires no manipulations aside from mixing of the sample and the test solution. It offers flexibility with respect to the mode of signal detection and the fluorescence probe, and is compatible with multicolor simultaneous detection of several proteins. The assay can be used in research and medical diagnosis and for high-throughput screening of drugs targeted to DNA-binding proteins.

Characterization of activating region 3 from Escherichia coli FNR

Transcription activation of anaerobically induced genes in Escherichia coli is mediated through the action of the global anaerobic regulator FNR. Although regions of FNR involved in FNR-dependent transcription activation have been identified, the side-chains critical to the function of these regions are not known. In this study, alanine-scanning of amino acid residues 80-89 of FNR-activating region 3 (FNR-AR3) was used to determine which amino acid side-chains are required for transcription activation of class II FNR-dependent promoters. In vivo beta-galactosidase assays and in vitro transcription activation assays showed that Ala substitution of Ile81, Gly85 and Asp86 had the largest transcription activation defects, while comparison of the activity of single and double mutants indicated that Thr82, Glu83, Glu87 and Gln88 may contribute in a minor way to FNR-AR3 function. Site-directed mutagenesis of positions 81 and 86 showed that the hydrophobicity of Ile81 and the negative charge of Asp86 were important to FNR-AR3's function. Lastly, substitution of residues of E. coli FNR-AR3 with those more basic residues found in a subset of FNR homologs, such as Rhodobacter sphaeroides FnrL, resulted in a mutant strain that was unable to activate transcription from E. coli class II FNR-dependent promoters. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a requirement for negatively charged and hydrophobic side-chain residues in E. coli FNR-AR3 function, although there is likely to be some variability in the characteristics of this region in other members of the FNR family.

Miscoordination of the iron-sulfur clusters of the anaerobic transcription factor, FNR, allows simple repression but not activation

The FNR protein of Escherichia coli regulates target genes in response to anaerobiosis. Environmental oxygen is sensed by the acquisition of oxygen-labile [4Fe-4S] clusters that promote dimerization, DNA binding, and productive interactions with RNA polymerase. Three N-terminal cysteine residues (Cys(20), Cys(23), and Cys(29)) and Cys(122) act as ligands for the FNR iron sulfur clusters. An FNR variant, FNR-C20S, that retains only trace activity in vivo can acquire [4Fe-4S] clusters in vitro that enhance site-specific DNA binding. Second site substitutions in activating regions AR1, AR2, and AR3 restore in vivo activity to FNR-C20S, suggesting that the impairment in FNR-C20S activity is due to a failure to communicate with RNA polymerase effectively. Here we show that FNR-C20S can repress a simple FNR-regulated promoter in vivo and that it can form productive heterodimers with an FNR variant with altered DNA binding specificity, FNR-E209V. Transcription studies with FNR-E209V.FNR-C20S heterodimers indicate that the presence of a miscoordinated iron-sulfur cluster (FNR-C20S) in the downstream (but not the upstream) subunit of the FNR dimer impairs activation from a class II promoter and that this impairment can be overcome by amino acid substitutions known to unmask AR2 or improve AR3 in the affected subunit.

Two regions of GerE required for promoter activation in Bacillus subtilis

GerE from Bacillus subtilis is the smallest member of the LuxR-FixJ family of transcription activators. Its 74-amino-acid sequence is similar over its entire length to the DNA binding domain of this protein family, including a putative helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif. In this report, we sought to define regions of GerE involved in promoter activation. We examined the effects of single alanine substitutions at 19 positions that were predicted by the crystal structure of GerE to be located on its surface. A single substitution of alanine for the phenylalanine at position 6 of GerE (F6A) resulted in decreased transcription in vivo and in vitro from the GerE-dependent cotC promoter. However, the F6A substitution had little effect on transcription from the GerE-dependent cotX promoter. In contrast, a single alanine substitution for the leucine at position 67 (L67A) reduced transcription from the cotX promoter, but not from the cotC promoter. The results of DNase I protection assays and in vitro transcription reactions lead us to suggest that the F6A and L67A substitutions define two regions of GerE, activation region 1 (AR1) and AR2, that are required for activation of the cotC and cotX promoters, respectively. A comparison of our results with those from studies of MalT and BvgA indicated that other members of the LuxR-FixJ family may use more than one surface to interact with RNA polymerase during promoter activation.

Regulation of gene expression in Vibrio cholerae by ToxT involves both antirepression and RNA polymerase stimulation

Co-ordinate expression of many virulence genes in the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae is under the direct control of the ToxT protein, including genes whose products are required for the biogenesis of the toxin-co-regulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CTX). This work examined interactions between ToxT and the promoters of ctx and tcpA genes. We found that a minimum of three direct repeats of the sequence TTTTGAT is required for ToxT-dependent activation of the ctx promoter, and that the region from -85 to -41 of the tcpA promoter contains elements that are responsive to ToxT-dependent activation. The role of H-NS in transcription of ctx and tcpA was also analysed. The level of activation of ctx-lacZ in an E. coli hns- strain was greatly increased even in the absence of ToxT, and was further enhanced in the presence of ToxT. In contrast, H-NS plays a lesser role in the regulation of the tcpA promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that 6x His-tagged ToxT directly, and specifically, interacts with both the ctx and tcpA promoters. DNase I footprinting analysis suggests that there may be two ToxT binding sites with different affinity in the ctx promoter and that ToxT binds to -84 to -41 of the tcpA promoter. In vitro transcription experiments demonstrated that ToxT alone is able to activate transcription from both promoters. We hypothesize that under conditions appropriate for ToxT-dependent gene expression, ToxT binds to AT-rich promoters that may have a specific secondary conformation, displaces H-NS and stimulates RNA polymerase resulting in transcription activation.