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Ensinck D, Gerhardt ECM, Rollan L, Huergo LF, Gramajo H, Diacovich L. The PII protein interacts with the Amt ammonium transport and modulates nitrate/nitrite assimilation in mycobacteria. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1366111. [PMID: 38591044 PMCID: PMC11001197 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1366111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
PII proteins are signal transduction proteins that belong to a widely distributed family of proteins involved in the modulation of different metabolisms in bacteria. These proteins are homotrimers carrying a flexible loop, named T-loop, which changes its conformation due to the recognition of diverse key metabolites, ADP, ATP, and 2-oxoglutarate. PII proteins interact with different partners to primarily regulate a set of nitrogen pathways. In some organisms, PII proteins can also control carbon metabolism by interacting with the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP), a key component of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) enzyme complex, inhibiting its activity with the consequent reduction of fatty acid biosynthesis. Most bacteria contain at least two PII proteins, named GlnB and GlnK, with different regulatory roles. In mycobacteria, only one PII protein was identified, and the three-dimensional structure was solved, however, its physiological role is unknown. In this study we purified the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) PII protein, named GlnB, and showed that it weakly interacts with the AccA3 protein, the α subunit shared by the three different, and essential, Acyl-CoA carboxylase complexes (ACCase 4, 5, and 6) present in M. tb. A M. smegmatis deletion mutant, ∆MsPII, exhibited a growth deficiency on nitrate and nitrite as unique nitrogen sources, and accumulated nitrite in the culture supernatant. In addition, M. tb PII protein was able to interact with the C-terminal domain of the ammonium transporter Amt establishing the ancestral role for this PII protein as a GlnK functioning protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delfina Ensinck
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Edileusa C. M. Gerhardt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Lara Rollan
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Luciano F. Huergo
- Setor Litoral, Federal University of Paraná, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Matinhos, Paraná, Brazil
- Graduated Program in Sciences-Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Lautaro Diacovich
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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2
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Grau FC, Burkovski A, Muller YA. Crystal structures of adenylylated and unadenylylated P II protein GlnK from Corynebacterium glutamicum. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2021; 77:325-335. [PMID: 33645536 PMCID: PMC7919409 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321000735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PII proteins are ubiquitous signaling proteins that are involved in the regulation of the nitrogen/carbon balance in bacteria, archaea, and some plants and algae. Signal transduction via PII proteins is modulated by effector molecules and post-translational modifications in the PII T-loop. Whereas the binding of ADP, ATP and the concomitant binding of ATP and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) engender two distinct conformations of the T-loop that either favor or disfavor the interaction with partner proteins, the structural consequences of post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, uridylylation and adenylylation are far less well understood. In the present study, crystal structures of the PII protein GlnK from Corynebacterium glutamicum have been determined, namely of adenylylated GlnK (adGlnK) and unmodified unadenylylated GlnK (unGlnK). AdGlnK has been proposed to act as an inducer of the transcription repressor AmtR, and the adenylylation of Tyr51 in GlnK has been proposed to be a prerequisite for this function. The structures of unGlnK and adGlnK allow the first atomic insights into the structural implications of the covalent attachment of an AMP moiety to the T-loop. The overall GlnK fold remains unaltered upon adenylylation, and T-loop adenylylation does not appear to interfere with the formation of the two major functionally important T-loop conformations, namely the extended T-loop in the canonical ADP-bound state and the compacted T-loop that is adopted upon the simultaneous binding of Mg-ATP and 2OG. Thus, the PII-typical conformational switching mechanism appears to be preserved in GlnK from C. glutamicum, while at the same time the functional repertoire becomes expanded through the accommodation of a peculiar post-translational modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian C. Grau
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 91, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Burkovski
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yves A. Muller
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 91, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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3
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PII Signal Transduction Protein GlnK Alleviates Feedback Inhibition of N-Acetyl-l-Glutamate Kinase by l-Arginine in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00039-20. [PMID: 32060028 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00039-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PII signal transduction proteins are ubiquitous and highly conserved in bacteria, archaea, and plants and play key roles in controlling nitrogen metabolism. However, research on biological functions and regulatory targets of PII proteins remains limited. Here, we illustrated experimentally that the PII protein Corynebacterium glutamicum GlnK (CgGlnK) increased l-arginine yield when glnK was overexpressed in Corynebacterium glutamicum Data showed that CgGlnK regulated l-arginine biosynthesis by upregulating the expression of genes of the l-arginine metabolic pathway and interacting with N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase (CgNAGK), the rate-limiting enzyme in l-arginine biosynthesis. Further assays indicated that CgGlnK contributed to alleviation of the feedback inhibition of CgNAGK caused by l-arginine. In silico analysis of the binding interface of CgGlnK-CgNAGK suggested that the B and T loops of CgGlnK mainly interacted with C and N domains of CgNAGK. Moreover, F11, R47, and K85 of CgGlnK were identified as crucial binding sites that interact with CgNAGK via hydrophobic interaction and H bonds, and these interactions probably had a positive effect on maintaining the stability of the complex. Collectively, this study reveals PII-NAGK interaction in nonphotosynthetic microorganisms and further provides insights into the regulatory mechanism of PII on amino acid biosynthesis in corynebacteria.IMPORTANCE Corynebacteria are safe industrial producers of diverse amino acids, including l-glutamic acid and l-arginine. In this study, we showed that PII protein GlnK played an important role in l-glutamic acid and l-arginine biosynthesis in C. glutamicum Through clarifying the molecular mechanism of CgGlnK in l-arginine biosynthesis, the novel interaction between CgGlnK and CgNAGK was revealed. The alleviation of l-arginine inhibition of CgNAGK reached approximately 48.21% by CgGlnK addition, and the semi-inhibition constant of CgNAGK increased 1.4-fold. Furthermore, overexpression of glnK in a high-yield l-arginine-producing strain and fermentation of the recombinant strain in a 5-liter bioreactor led to a remarkably increased production of l-arginine, 49.978 g/liter, which was about 22.61% higher than that of the initial strain. In conclusion, this study provides a new strategy for modifying amino acid biosynthesis in C. glutamicum.
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Wheatley NM, Eden KD, Ngo J, Rosinski JS, Sawaya MR, Cascio D, Collazo M, Hoveida H, Hubbell WL, Yeates TO. A PII-Like Protein Regulated by Bicarbonate: Structural and Biochemical Studies of the Carboxysome-Associated CPII Protein. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:4013-4030. [PMID: 27464895 PMCID: PMC5048545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Autotrophic bacteria rely on various mechanisms to increase intracellular concentrations of inorganic forms of carbon (i.e., bicarbonate and CO2) in order to improve the efficiency with which they can be converted to organic forms. Transmembrane bicarbonate transporters and carboxysomes play key roles in accumulating bicarbonate and CO2, but other regulatory elements of carbon concentration mechanisms in bacteria are less understood. In this study, after analyzing the genomic regions around α-type carboxysome operons, we characterize a protein that is conserved across these operons but has not been previously studied. On the basis of a series of apo- and ligand-bound crystal structures and supporting biochemical data, we show that this protein, which we refer to as the carboxysome-associated PII protein (CPII), represents a new and distinct subfamily within the broad superfamily of previously studied PII regulatory proteins, which are generally involved in regulating nitrogen metabolism in bacteria. CPII undergoes dramatic conformational changes in response to ADP binding, and the affinity for nucleotide binding is strongly enhanced by the presence of bicarbonate. CPII therefore appears to be a unique type of PII protein that senses bicarbonate availability, consistent with its apparent genomic association with the carboxysome and its constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Wheatley
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kevin D Eden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joanna Ngo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Justin S Rosinski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael R Sawaya
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Duilio Cascio
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael Collazo
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hamidreza Hoveida
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Wayne L Hubbell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Todd O Yeates
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Choi PH, Sureka K, Woodward JJ, Tong L. Molecular basis for the recognition of cyclic-di-AMP by PstA, a PII-like signal transduction protein. Microbiologyopen 2015; 4:361-74. [PMID: 25693966 PMCID: PMC4475381 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is a broadly conserved bacterial second messenger that is of importance in bacterial physiology. The molecular receptors mediating the cellular responses to the c-di-AMP signal are just beginning to be discovered. PstA is a previously uncharacterized PII-like protein which has been identified as a c-di-AMP receptor. PstA is widely distributed and conserved among Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes. Here, we report the biochemical, structural, and functional characterization of PstA from Listeria monocytogenes. We have determined the crystal structures of PstA in the c-di-AMP-bound and apo forms at 1.6 and 2.9 Å resolution, respectively, which provide the molecular basis for its specific recognition of c-di-AMP. PstA forms a homotrimer structure that has overall similarity to the PII protein family which binds ATP. However, PstA is markedly different from PII proteins in the loop regions, and these structural differences mediate the specific recognition of their respective nucleotide ligand. The residues composing the c-di-AMP binding pocket are conserved, suggesting that c-di-AMP recognition by PstA is of functional importance. Disruption of pstA in L. monocytogenes affected c-di-AMP-mediated alterations in bacterial growth and lysis. Overall, we have defined the PstA family as a conserved and specific c-di-AMP receptor in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip H Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York City, New York, 10027
| | - Kamakshi Sureka
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
| | - Joshua J Woodward
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
| | - Liang Tong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York City, New York, 10027
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Abstract
Several major pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, parasitize host cells and exploit host-derived nutrients to sustain their own metabolism. Although the carbon sources that are used by M. tuberculosis have been extensively studied, the mechanisms by which mycobacteria capture and metabolize nitrogen, which is another essential constituent of biomolecules, have only recently been revisited. In this Progress article, we discuss central nitrogen metabolism in M. tuberculosis, the mechanisms that are used by this pathogen to obtain nitrogen from its host and the potential role of nitrogen capture and metabolism in virulence.
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Jain S, Mandal RS, Anand S, Maiti S, Ramachandran S. Probing the amino acids critical for protein oligomerisation and protein-nucleotide interaction in Mycobacterium tuberculosis PII protein through integration of computational and experimental approaches. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2013; 1834:2736-49. [PMID: 24129075 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2013.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 10/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the interacting amino acids critical for the stability and ATP binding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PII protein through a series of site specific mutagenesis experiments. We assessed the effect of mutants using glutaraldehyde crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography and isothermal titration calorimetry. Mutations in the amino acid pair R60-E62 affecting central electrostatic interaction resulted in insoluble proteins. Multiple sequence alignment of PII orthologs displayed a conserved pattern of charged residues at these positions. Mutation of amino acid D97 to a neutral residue was tolerated whereas positive charge was not acceptable. Mutation of R107 alone had no effect on trimer formation. However, the combination of neutral residues both at positions 97 and 107 was not acceptable even with the pair at 60-62 intact. Reversal of charge polarity could partially restore the interaction. The residues including K90, R101 and R103 with potential to form H-bonds to ATP are conserved throughout across numerous orthologs of PII but when mutated to Alanine, they did not show significant differences in the total free energy change of the interaction as examined through isothermal titration calorimetry. The ATP binding pattern showed anti-cooperativity using three-site binding model. We observed compensatory effect in enthalpy and entropy changes and these may represent structural adjustments to accommodate ATP in the cavity even in absence of some interactions to perform the requisite function. In this respect these small differences between the PII orthologs may have evolved to suite species specific physiological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriyans Jain
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, New Delhi 110 007, India
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P(II) signal transduction proteins are ATPases whose activity is regulated by 2-oxoglutarate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:12948-53. [PMID: 23818625 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1304386110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
P(II) proteins are one of the most widespread families of signal transduction proteins in nature, being ubiquitous throughout bacteria, archaea, and plants. In all these organisms, P(II) proteins coordinate many facets of nitrogen metabolism by interacting with and regulating the activities of enzymes, transcription factors, and membrane transport proteins. The primary mode of signal perception by P(II) proteins derives from their ability to bind the effector molecules 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) and ATP or ADP. The role of 2-OG as an indicator of cellular nitrogen status is well understood, but the function of ATP/ADP binding has remained unresolved. We have now shown that the Escherichia coli P(II) protein, GlnK, has an ATPase activity that is inhibited by 2-OG. Hence, when a drop in the cellular 2-OG pool signals nitrogen sufficiency, 2-OG depletion of GlnK causes bound ATP to be hydrolyzed to ADP, leading to a conformational change in the protein. We propose that the role of ATP/ADP binding in E. coli GlnK is to effect a 2-OG-dependent molecular switch that drives a conformational change in the T loops of the P(II) protein. We have further shown that two other P(II) proteins, Azospirillum brasilense GlnZ and Arabidopsis thaliana P(II), have a similar ATPase activity, and we therefore suggest that this switch mechanism is likely to be a general property of most members of the P(II) protein family.
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Huergo LF, Chandra G, Merrick M. PIIsignal transduction proteins: nitrogen regulation and beyond. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2013; 37:251-83. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00351.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Revised: 07/26/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
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Williams KJ, Bennett MH, Barton GR, Jenkins VA, Robertson BD. Adenylylation of mycobacterial Glnk (PII) protein is induced by nitrogen limitation. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2013; 93:198-206. [PMID: 23352854 PMCID: PMC3612183 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2012.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
PII proteins are pivotal regulators of nitrogen metabolism in most prokaryotes, controlling the activities of many targets, including nitrogen assimilation enzymes, two component regulatory systems and ammonium transport proteins. Escherichia coli contains two PII-like proteins, PII (product of glnB) and GlnK, both of which are uridylylated under nitrogen limitation at a conserved Tyrosine-51 residue by GlnD (a uridylyl transferase). PII-uridylylation in E. coli controls glutamine synthetase (GS) adenylylation by GlnE and mediates the NtrB/C transcriptomic response. Mycobacteria contain only one PII protein (GlnK) which in environmental Actinomycetales is adenylylated by GlnD under nitrogen limitation. However in mycobacteria, neither the type of GlnK (PII) covalent modification nor its precise role under nitrogen limitation is known. In this study, we used LC-Tandem MS to analyse the modification state of mycobacterial GlnK (PII), and demonstrate that during nitrogen limitation GlnK from both non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis and pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis is adenylylated at the Tyrosine-51 residue; we also show that GlnD is the adenylyl transferase enzyme responsible. Further analysis shows that in contrast to E. coli, GlnK (PII) adenylylation in M. tuberculosis does not regulate GS adenylylation, nor does it mediate the transcriptomic response to nitrogen limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin J Williams
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Waldvogel E, Herbig A, Battke F, Amin R, Nentwich M, Nieselt K, Ellingsen TE, Wentzel A, Hodgson DA, Wohlleben W, Mast Y. The PII protein GlnK is a pleiotropic regulator for morphological differentiation and secondary metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2011; 92:1219-36. [PMID: 22033567 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3644-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
GlnK is an important nitrogen sensor protein in Streptomyces coelicolor. Deletion of glnK results in a medium-dependent failure of aerial mycelium and spore formation and loss of antibiotic production. Thus, GlnK is not only a regulator of nitrogen metabolism but also of morphological differentiation and secondary metabolite production. Through a comparative transcriptomic approach between the S. coelicolor wild-type and a S. coelicolor glnK mutant strain, 142 genes were identified that are differentially regulated in both strains. Among these are genes of the ram and rag operon, which are involved in S. coelicolor morphogenesis, as well as genes involved in gas vesicle biosynthesis and ectoine biosynthesis. Surprisingly, no relevant nitrogen genes were found to be differentially regulated, revealing that GlnK is not an important nitrogen sensor under the tested conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Waldvogel
- Microbiology/Biotechnology, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen, Germany
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