Identification of an Escherichia coli genetic locus involved in thermoregulation of the pap operon

A Thermosensitive, Phase-Variable Epigenetic Switch: pap Revisited

It has been more than a decade since the last comprehensive review of the phase-variable uropathogen-associated pyelonephritis-associated pilus (pap) genetic switch. Since then, important data have come to light, including additional factors that regulate pap expression, better characterization of H-NS regulation, the structure of the Lrp octamer in complex with pap regulatory DNA, the temperature-insensitive phenotype of a mutant lacking the acetyltransferase RimJ, evidence that key components of the regulatory machinery are acetylated, and new insights into the role of DNA binding by key regulators in shaping both the physical structure and regulatory state of the papI and papBA promoters. This review revisits pap, integrating these newer observations with older ones to produce a new model for the concerted behavior of this virulence-regulatory region.

Virulence Gene Regulation in Escherichia coli

Escherichia colicauses three types of illnesses in humans: diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and meningitis in newborns. The acquisition of virulence-associated genes and the ability to properly regulate these, often horizontally transferred, loci distinguishes pathogens from the normally harmless commensal E. coli found within the human intestine. This review addresses our current understanding of virulence gene regulation in several important diarrhea-causing pathotypes, including enteropathogenic, enterohemorrhagic,enterotoxigenic, and enteroaggregativeE. coli-EPEC, EHEC, ETEC and EAEC, respectively. The intensely studied regulatory circuitry controlling virulence of uropathogenicE. coli, or UPEC, is also reviewed, as is that of MNEC, a common cause of meningitis in neonates. Specific topics covered include the regulation of initial attachment events necessary for infection, environmental cues affecting virulence gene expression, control of attaching and effacing lesionformation, and control of effector molecule expression and secretion via the type III secretion systems by EPEC and EHEC. How phage control virulence and the expression of the Stx toxins of EHEC, phase variation, quorum sensing, and posttranscriptional regulation of virulence determinants are also addressed. A number of important virulence regulators are described, including the AraC-like molecules PerA of EPEC, CfaR and Rns of ETEC, and AggR of EAEC;the Ler protein of EPEC and EHEC;RfaH of UPEC;and the H-NS molecule that acts to silence gene expression. The regulatory circuitry controlling virulence of these greatly varied E. colipathotypes is complex, but common themes offerinsight into the signals and regulators necessary forE. coli disease progression.

Thermosensor systems in eubacteria

Four different mechanisms have evolved in eubacteria to comply with changes in the environmental temperature. The underlying genetic mechanisms regulate gene expression at transcriptional, translational and posttranslational level. The high temperature response (HTR) is a reaction on increases in temperature and is mainly used by pathogenic bacteria when they enter their mammalian host. The temperature of 37°C causes induction of the virulent genes the products of which are only needed in this environment. The heat shock response (HSR) is induced by any sudden increase in temperature, allows the bacterial cell to adapt to this environmental stress factor and is shut off after adaptation. In a similar way the low temperature response (LTR) is a reaction to a new environment and leads to the constant expression of appropriate genes. In contrast, the cold shock response (CSR) includes turn off of the cold shock genes after adaptation to the low temperature. Sensors of temperature changes are specific DNA regions, RNA molecules or proteins and conformational changes have been identified as a common motif.

Human body temperature (37degrees C) increases the expression of iron, carbohydrate, and amino acid utilization genes in Escherichia coli K-12

Using DNA microarrays, we identified 126 genes in Escherichia coli K-12 whose expression is increased at human body temperature (37 degrees C) compared to growth at 23 degrees C. Genes involved in the uptake and utilization of amino acids, carbohydrates, and iron dominated the list, supporting a model in which temperature serves as a host cue to increase expression of bacterial genes needed for growth. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we investigated the thermoregulatory response for representative genes in each of these three categories (hisJ, cysP, srlE, garP, fes, and cirA), along with the fimbrial gene papB. Increased expression at 37 degrees C compared to 23 degrees C was retained in both exponential and stationary phases for all of the genes and in most of the various media tested, supporting the relative importance of this cue in adapting to changing environments. Because iron acquisition is important for both growth and virulence, we analyzed the regulation of the iron utilization genes cirA and fes and found that growth in iron-depleted medium abrogated the thermoregulatory effect, with high-level expression at both temperatures, contrasting with papB thermoregulation, which was not greatly altered by limiting iron levels. A positive role for the environmental regulator H-NS was found for fes, cirA, hisJ, and srlE transcription, whereas it had a primarily negative effect on cysP and garP expression. Together, these studies indicate that temperature is a broadly used cue for regulating gene expression in E. coli and that H-NS regulates iron, carbohydrate, and amino acid utilization gene expression.

Regulation of P-fimbrial phase variation frequencies in Escherichia coli CFT073

Adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to host tissue is required for infection and is mediated by fimbriae, such as pyelonephritis-associated pili (Pap). Expression of P fimbriae is regulated by phase variation, and to date, phase transition frequencies have been measured only for pap regulatory region constructs integrated into the E. coli K-12 chromosome. The aim of this work was to measure P phase transition frequencies in clinical isolates for the first time, including frequencies for the sequenced strain E. coli CFT073. P fimbriation and associated phase transition frequencies were measured for two E. coli clinical isolates and compared with levels for homologous pap constructs in E. coli K-12. Fimbriation and off-to-on transition frequencies were always higher in the clinical isolate. It was concluded that the regulatory inputs controlling papI expression are likely to be different in E. coli CFT073 and E. coli K-12 as (i) phase variation could be stimulated in E. coli K-12 by induction of papI and (ii) the level of expression of a papI::gfp(+) fusion was higher in E. coli CFT073 than in E. coli K-12. Furthermore, phase transition frequencies for the two E. coli CFT073 pap clusters were shown to be different depending on the culture conditions, indicating that there is a hierarchy of expression depending on signal inputs.

Regulation of Fimbrial Expression

Fimbria-mediated interaction with the host elicits both innate and adaptive immune responses, and thus their expression may not always be beneficial in vivo. Furthermore, the metabolic drain of producing fimbriae is significant. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that fimbrial production in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica is under extensive environmental regulation. In many instances, fimbrial expression is regulated by phase variation, in which individual cells are capable of switching between fimbriate and afimbriate states to produce a mixed population. Mechanisms of phase variation vary considerably between different fimbriae and involve both genetic and epigenetic processes. Notwithstanding this, fimbrial expression is also sometimes controlled at the posttranscriptional level. In this chapter, we review key features of the regulation of fimbrial gene expression in E. coli and Salmonella. The occurrence and distribution of fimbrial operons vary significantly among E. coli pathovars and even among the many Salmonella serovars. Therefore, general principles are presented on the basis of detailed discussion of paradigms that have been extensively studied, including Pap, type 1 fimbriae, and curli. The roles of operon specific regulators like FimB or CsgD and of global regulatory proteins like Lrp, CpxR, and the histone-like proteins H-NS and IHF are reviewed as are the roles of sRNAs and of signalling nucleotide cyclic-di-GMP. Individual examples are discussed in detail to illustrate how the regulatory factors cooperate to allow tight control of expression of single operons. Molecular networks that allow coordinated expression between multiple fimbrial operons and with flagella in a single isolate are also presented. This chapter illustrates how adhesin expression is controlled, and the model systems also illustrate general regulatory principles germane to our overall understanding of bacterial gene regulation.

Epigenetic gene regulation in the bacterial world

Like many eukaryotes, bacteria make widespread use of postreplicative DNA methylation for the epigenetic control of DNA-protein interactions. Unlike eukaryotes, however, bacteria use DNA adenine methylation (rather than DNA cytosine methylation) as an epigenetic signal. DNA adenine methylation plays roles in the virulence of diverse pathogens of humans and livestock animals, including pathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Vibrio, Yersinia, Haemophilus, and Brucella. In Alphaproteobacteria, methylation of adenine at GANTC sites by the CcrM methylase regulates the cell cycle and couples gene transcription to DNA replication. In Gammaproteobacteria, adenine methylation at GATC sites by the Dam methylase provides signals for DNA replication, chromosome segregation, mismatch repair, packaging of bacteriophage genomes, transposase activity, and regulation of gene expression. Transcriptional repression by Dam methylation appears to be more common than transcriptional activation. Certain promoters are active only during the hemimethylation interval that follows DNA replication; repression is restored when the newly synthesized DNA strand is methylated. In the E. coli genome, however, methylation of specific GATC sites can be blocked by cognate DNA binding proteins. Blockage of GATC methylation beyond cell division permits transmission of DNA methylation patterns to daughter cells and can give rise to distinct epigenetic states, each propagated by a positive feedback loop. Switching between alternative DNA methylation patterns can split clonal bacterial populations into epigenetic lineages in a manner reminiscent of eukaryotic cell differentiation. Inheritance of self-propagating DNA methylation patterns governs phase variation in the E. coli pap operon, the agn43 gene, and other loci encoding virulence-related cell surface functions.

F4 fimbriae expressed by porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, an example of an eccentric fimbrial system?

An overwhelming number of infectious diseases in both humans and animals are initiated by bacterial adhesion to carbohydrate structures on a mucosal surface. Most bacterial pathogens mediate this adhesion by fimbriae or pili which contain an adhesive lectin subunit. The importance of fimbriae as virulence factors led to research elucidating the regulation of fimbrial expression and their molecular assembly process. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of induction, expression and assembly of F4 (K88) fimbriae and discusses its unique as well as its identical characteristics compared to other intensively studied fimbriae or pili expressed by Escherichia coli.

The N-acetyltransferase RimJ responds to environmental stimuli to repress pap fimbrial transcription in Escherichia coli

In uropathogenic Escherichia coli, P pili (Pap) facilitate binding to host epithelial cells and subsequent colonization. Whereas P pili can be produced at 37 degrees C, the expression of these fimbriae is suppressed at 23 degrees C. Previously, insertion mutations in rimJ, a gene encoding the N-terminal acetyltransferase of ribosomal protein S5, were shown to disrupt this thermoregulatory response, allowing papBA transcription at low temperature. In this study, we created an in-frame deletion of rimJ. This deletion relieved the repressive effects not only of low temperature but also of rich (Luria-Bertani [LB]) medium and glucose on papBA transcription, indicating that RimJ modulates papBA transcription in response to multiple environmental stimuli. papI transcription was also shown to be regulated by RimJ. papBA transcription is also controlled by a phase variation mechanism. We demonstrated that the regulators necessary to establish a phase ON state--PapI, PapB, Dam, Lrp, and cyclic AMP-CAP-are still required for papBA transcription in a rimJ mutant strain. rimJ mutations increase the rate at which bacteria transition into the phase ON state, indicating that RimJ inhibits the phase OFF-->ON transition. A DeltarimJ hns651 mutant is viable on LB medium but not on minimal medium. This synthetic lethality, along with transcriptional analyses, indicates that RimJ and H-NS work through separate pathways to control papBA transcription. Mutations in rimJ do not greatly influence the transcription of the fan, daa, or fim operon, suggesting that RimJ may be a pap-specific regulator. Overexpression of rimJ under conditions repressive for papBA transcription complements the DeltarimJ mutation but has little effect on transcription under activating conditions, indicating that the ability of RimJ to regulate transcription is environmentally controlled.

The N-acetyltransferase RimJ responds to environmental stimuli to repress pap fimbrial transcription in Escherichia coli

In uropathogenic Escherichia coli, P pili (Pap) facilitate binding to host epithelial cells and subsequent colonization. Whereas P pili can be produced at 37 degrees C, the expression of these fimbriae is suppressed at 23 degrees C. Previously, insertion mutations in rimJ, a gene encoding the N-terminal acetyltransferase of ribosomal protein S5, were shown to disrupt this thermoregulatory response, allowing papBA transcription at low temperature. In this study, we created an in-frame deletion of rimJ. This deletion relieved the repressive effects not only of low temperature but also of rich (Luria-Bertani [LB]) medium and glucose on papBA transcription, indicating that RimJ modulates papBA transcription in response to multiple environmental stimuli. papI transcription was also shown to be regulated by RimJ. papBA transcription is also controlled by a phase variation mechanism. We demonstrated that the regulators necessary to establish a phase ON state--PapI, PapB, Dam, Lrp, and cyclic AMP-CAP-are still required for papBA transcription in a rimJ mutant strain. rimJ mutations increase the rate at which bacteria transition into the phase ON state, indicating that RimJ inhibits the phase OFF-->ON transition. A DeltarimJ hns651 mutant is viable on LB medium but not on minimal medium. This synthetic lethality, along with transcriptional analyses, indicates that RimJ and H-NS work through separate pathways to control papBA transcription. Mutations in rimJ do not greatly influence the transcription of the fan, daa, or fim operon, suggesting that RimJ may be a pap-specific regulator. Overexpression of rimJ under conditions repressive for papBA transcription complements the DeltarimJ mutation but has little effect on transcription under activating conditions, indicating that the ability of RimJ to regulate transcription is environmentally controlled.

The regulation of pap and type 1 fimbriation in Escherichia coli

The ability of bacterial pathogens to bind to the host mucosa is a critical step in the pathogenesis of many bacterial infections and, for Escherichia coli, a large number of different fimbrial adhesins have been implicated as virulence factors. In this chapter, our current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that control the expression of two of the best characterized fimbrial adhesins, pyelonephritis-associated pilus (encoded by pap) and the type 1 fimbria (encoded by fim), will be described. The expression of both fimbrial adhesins is controlled by phase variation (the reversible and apparently random switching between expressing ('on') and non-expressing ('off') states), and is regulated in response to environmental conditions. The phase variation of pap (and of some other fimbriae in Escherichia coli) is determined by the formation of alternative nucleoprotein complexes that either activate (phase 'on') or suppress (phase 'off') transcription of the fimbria genes. Formation of each complex protects a single Dam methylation site (5' GATC) from modification (GATCdist in phase 'on' cells and GATCprox in phase 'off' cells). Furthermore, complex formation is inhibited by methylation of the two 5' GATC sites. Both the phase variation of pap and the transcription of the pap genes in phase 'on' cells, are regulated and expression is subject to both positive and negative feedback control. In contrast to pap, the phase variation of fim is determined by the site-specific inversion of a short element of DNA (the fim switch). In phase 'on' cells, a promoter within the invertible element directs the transcription of the fim structural genes, whereas in phase 'off' cells transcription of the fimbrial genes is silenced. Despite the very different molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of pap and fim, the two systems share many features in common and have probably evolved to fulfill the same function. In addition to details about the molecular mechanisms that control pap and fim, the possible physiological significance of the observed regulation will be discussed.

Analysis of the F antigen-specific papA alleles of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli using a novel multiplex PCR-based assay

Polymorphisms in PapA, the major structural subunit and antigenic determinant of P fimbriae of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, are of considerable epidemiological, phylogenetic, and immunotherapeutic importance. However, to date, no method other than DNA sequencing has been generally available for their detection. In the present study, we developed and rigorously validated a novel PCR-based assay for the 11 recognized variants of papA and then used the new assay to assess the prevalence, phylogenetic distribution, and bacteriological associations of the papA alleles among 75 E. coli isolates from patients with urosepsis. In comparison with conventional F serotyping, the assay was extremely sensitive and specific, evidence that papA sequences are highly conserved within each of the traditionally recognized F serotypes despite the diversity observed among F types. In certain strains, the assay detected serologically occult copies of papA, of which some were shown to represent false-negative serological results and others were shown to represent the presence of nonfunctional pap fragments. Among the urosepsis isolates, the assay revealed considerable segregation of papA alleles according to O:K:H serotype, consistent with vertical transmission within clones, but with exceptions which strongly suggested horizontal transfer of papA alleles between lineages. Sequencing of papA from two strains that were papA positive by probe and PCR but F negative in the new PCR assay led to the discovery of two novel papA variants, one of which was actually more prevalent among the urosepsis isolates than were several of the known papA alleles. These findings provide novel insights into the papA alleles of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli and indicate that the F PCR assay represents a versatile new molecular tool for epidemiological and phylogenetic investigations which should make rapid, specific detection of papA alleles available to any laboratory with PCR capability.

Transcription regulation of the colicin K cka gene reveals induction of colicin synthesis by differential responses to environmental signals

Colicin-producing strains occur frequently in natural populations of Escherichia coli, and colicinogenicity seems to provide a competitive advantage in the natural habitat. A cka-lacZ fusion was used to study the regulation of expression of the colicin K structural gene. Expression is growth phase dependent, with high activity in the late stationary phase. Nutrient depletion induces the expression of cka due to an increase in ppGpp. Temperature is a strong signal for cka expression, since only basal-level activity was detected at 22 degrees C. Mitomycin C induction demonstrates that cka expression is regulated to a lesser extent by the SOS response independently of ppGpp. Increased osmolarity induces a partial increase, while the global regulator integration host factor inhibits expression in the late stationary phase. Induction of cka was demonstrated to be independent of the cyclic AMP-Crp complex, carbon source, RpoS, Lrp, H-NS, pH, and short-chain fatty acids. In contrast to colicin E1, cka expression is independent of catabolite repression and is partially affected by anaerobiosis only upon SOS induction. These results indicate that while different colicins are expressed in response to some common signals such as nutrient depletion, the expression of individual colicins could be further influenced by specific environmental cues.

Virulence properties of Escherichia coli 83972, a prototype strain associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria

Little is known about bacteria associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) with regard to urinary tract colonization mechanisms. In this study, virulence properties of Escherichia coli 83972, a strain that was isolated from a clinical ABU episode, were examined. The genetic potential for expression of P and type 1 pili was demonstrated, and DNA sequences related to type 1C and G (UCA) pilus genes were also detected. However, E. coli 83972 did not express D-mannose-resistant or D-mannose-sensitive hemagglutination after growth under standard conditions in vitro or upon isolation from the urine of colonized test subjects. Limited uroepithelial cell adherence was observed in vivo, and weak D-mannose-sensitive hemagglutination was detected after extended growth in urine in vitro.

Linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12, edition 10: the traditional map

This map is an update of the edition 9 map by Berlyn et al. (M. K. B. Berlyn, K. B. Low, and K. E. Rudd, p. 1715-1902, in F. C. Neidhardt et al., ed., Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology, 2nd ed., vol. 2, 1996). It uses coordinates established by the completed sequence, expressed as 100 minutes for the entire circular map, and adds new genes discovered and established since 1996 and eliminates those shown to correspond to other known genes. The latter are included as synonyms. An alphabetical list of genes showing map location, synonyms, the protein or RNA product of the gene, phenotypes of mutants, and reference citations is provided. In addition to genes known to correspond to gene sequences, other genes, often older, that are described by phenotype and older mapping techniques and that have not been correlated with sequences are included.

Thermoregulation of Escherichia coli pap transcription: H-NS is a temperature-dependent DNA methylation blocking factor

The expression of Pap pili that facilitate the attachment of Escherichia coli to uroepithelial cells is shut off outside the host at temperatures below 26 degrees C. Ribonuclease protection analysis showed that this thermoregulatory response was rapid as evidenced by the absence of papBA transcripts, coding for Pap pilin, after only one generation of growth at 23 degrees C. The histone-like nucleoid structuring protein H-NS and DNA sequences within papB were required for thermoregulation, but the PapB and PapI regulatory proteins were not. In vivo analysis of pap DNA methylation patterns indicated that H-NS or a factor regulated by H-NS bound within the pap regulatory region at 23 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C, as evidenced by H-NS-dependent inhibition of methylation of the pap GATC sites designated GATC-I and GATC-II. These GATC sites lie upstream of the papBAp promoter and have been shown previously to play a role in controlling Pap pili expression by regulating the binding of Lrp, a global regulator that is essential for activating papBAp transcription. Competitive electrophoretic mobility shift analysis showed that H-NS bound specifically to a pap DNA fragment containing the GATC-I and GATC-II sites. Moreover, H-NS blocked methylation of these pap GATC sites in vitro: H-NS blocked pap GATC methylation at 1.4 microM but was unable to do so at higher concentrations at which non-specific binding occurred. Thus, non-specific binding of H-NS to pap DNA was not sufficient to inhibit methylation of the pap GATC sites. These results suggest that the ability of H-NS to act as a methylation blocking factor is dependent upon the formation of a specific complex of H-NS with pap regulatory DNA. We hypothesize that a function of H-NS such as oligomerization was altered at 23 degrees C, which enabled H-NS to repress pap gene expression through the formation of a specific nucleoprotein complex.

Transcriptional organization and regulation of expression of region 1 of the Escherichia coli K5 capsule gene cluster

The transcriptional organization and regulation of region 1 expression of the Escherichia coli K5 capsule gene cluster were studied. Region 1 was transcribed as an 8.0-kb polycistronic mRNA which was processed to form a separate 1.3-kb transcript encoding the 3'-most gene kpsS. Transcription of region 1 of the E. coli K5 capsule gene cluster was directed from a single promoter 225 bp upstream of a previously unidentified gene, kpsF. The promoter had -35 and -10 consensus sequences typical of an E. coli sigma 70 promoter, with no similarities to binding sites for other sigma factors. Two integration host factor (IHF) binding site consensus sequences were identified 110 bp upstream and 130 bp downstream of the transcription start site. In addition, two AT-rich regions separated by 16 bp identified upstream of the region 1 promoter were conserved upstream of the region 3 promoter. The kpsF gene was 98.8% identical with the kpsF gene identified in the E. coli K1 antigen gene cluster and confirms that the kpsF gene is conserved among group II capsule gene clusters. An intragenic Rho-dependent transcriptional terminator was discovered within the kpsF gene. No essential role for KpsF in the expression of the K5 antigen could be established. The temperature regulation of region 1 expression was at the level of transcription, with no transcription detectable in cells grown at 18 degrees C. Mutations in regulatory genes known to control temperature-dependent expression of a number of virulence genes had no effect on the temperature regulation of region 1 expression. Likewise, RfaH, which is known to regulate expression of E. coli group II capsules had no effect on the expression of region 1. Mutations in the himA and himD genes which encode the subunits of the IHF led to a fivefold reduction in the expression of KpsE at 37 degrees C, confirming a regulatory role for IHF in the expression of region 1 genes.

Molecular and structural aspects of fimbriae biosynthesis and assembly in Escherichia coli

Fimbriae are long filamentous polymeric protein structures located at the surface of bacterial cells. They enable the bacteria to bind to specific receptor structures and thereby to colonise specific surfaces. Fimbriae consist of so-called major and minor subunits, which form, in a specific order, the fimbrial structure. In this review emphasis is put on the genetic organisation, regulation and especially on the biosynthesis of fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains, and more in particular on K88 and related fimbriae, with ample reference to well-studied P and type 1 fimbriae. The biosynthesis of these fimbriae requires two specific and unique proteins, a periplasmic chaperone and an outer membrane located molecular usher ('doorkeeper'). Molecular and structural aspects of the secretion of fimbrial subunits across the cytoplasmic membrane, the interaction of these subunits with periplasmic molecular chaperone, their translocation to the inner site of the outer membrane and their interaction with the usher protein, as well as the (ordered) translocation of the subunits across the outer membrane and their assembly into a growing fimbrial structure will be described. A model for K88 fimbriae is presented.

Negative control of fae (K88) expression by the 'global' regulator Lrp is modulated by the 'local' regulator FaeA and affected by DNA methylation

Expression of the K88 (fae) operon is negatively controlled by the co-operative binding of Lrp and FaeA to the fae regulatory region and is dependent on the methylation status of three GATC sites present in this region. In this paper, we describe the binding of Lrp to a T-rich DNA helix between GATC site I and site II. FaeA stabilized and modified the Lrp binding, thereby extending the Lrp footprint over GATC site I and site III. Methylation of GATC site I prevented the binding of Lrp/FaeA at this site and appeared to be essential for the cells, since mutation of this site into GTTC resulted in a lethal overproduction of K88 fimbriae. Methylation of GATC site II and site III reduced the stability of Lrp/FaeA binding. Moreover, methylation of GATC site III stimulated faeB promoter activity. The plasmid population in cells harbouring multiple copies of a K88 plasmid consisted of two differentially methylated forms. Form A plasmids with a methylated GATC site I and site III and a nonmethylated site II (+,-,+) represented 20% of the population and were responsible for high-level expression. Form B plasmids with a methylated GATC site I and a non-methylated site II and site III (+,-,-) represented 80% of the population and were responsible for low-level expression. Apparently, K88 fimbriae expression in vivo is balanced at its maximal possible level by modulation of the methylation status of GATC site III. The ratio (1:4) between these populations is stabilized by a constitutive synthesis of FaeA resulting from the presence of an IS1 insertion upstream of faeA. This IS1 insertion separates the faeA promoter from the FaeB-binding sites, thereby neutralizing the control by FaeB activity on expression of FaeA. Instead, faeA transcription is stimulated by binding of FaeA to the faeA promoter region.

Leucine-responsive regulatory protein, IS1 insertions, and the negative regulator FaeA control the expression of the fae (K88) operon in Escherichia coli

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the fae operon encoding the biosynthesis of K88 fimbriae revealed the presence of two divergently transcribed regulatory genes, faeA and faeB, separated by two inverted IS1 insertions. The amino acid sequences of the regulatory proteins FaeA and FaeB show similarity to the primary structure of corresponding regulatory proteins involved in the biosynthesis of Pap and S fimbriae. Expression of faeA is positively controlled by the FaeA protein, whereas K88 fimbriae production is negatively controlled by the co-operative activity of FaeA and the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp). Exchange of FaeA for Papl, a positive regulator of Pap fimbriae expression, also represses K88 production indicating that the combination Papl/Lrp has opposite effects on fae and pap expression. Mutations in faeB had no effect on the biosynthesis of K88 fimbriae. The presence of the two IS1 insertions is hypothesized to neutralize part of the repression of K88 biosynthesis by FaeA/Lrp. Like pap, the fae operon does not respond to exogenous leucine.

Thermoregulation of the pap operon: evidence for the involvement of RimJ, the N-terminal acetylase of ribosomal protein S5

Our previous work showed that pap pilin gene transcription is subject to a thermoregulatory control mechanism under which pap pilin is not transcribed at a low temperature (23 degrees C) (L. B. Blyn, B. A. Braaten, C. A. White-Ziegler, D. H. Rolfson, and D. A. Low, EMBO J. 8:613-620, 1989). In order to isolate genes involved in this temperature regulation of gene expression, chromosomal mini-Tn10 (mTn10) mutations that allowed transcription of the pap pilin gene at 23 degrees C were identified, and the locus was designated tcp, for "thermoregulatory control of pap" (C. A. White-Ziegler, L. B. Blyn, B. A. Braaten, and D. A. Low, J. Bacteriol. 172:1775-1782, 1990). In the present study, quantitative analysis showed that the tcp mutations restore pap pilin transcription at 23 degrees C to levels similar to those measured at 37 degrees C. By in vivo recombination, the tcp mutations were mapped to phage E4H10S of the Kohara library of the Escherichia coli chromosome (Y. Kohara, K. Akiyama, and K. Isono, Cell 50:495-508, 1987). The tcp locus was cloned by complementation, in which a 1.3-kb DNA fragment, derived from the Kohara phage, was shown to restore thermoregulation to the mTn10 mutants. DNA sequencing revealed two open reading frames (ORFs) encoding proteins with calculated molecular masses of 22.7 and 20.3 kDa. The sequence of the 22.7-kDa ORF was identical to that of rimJ, the N-terminal acetylase of the ribosomal protein S5. The gene encoding the 20.3-kDa ORF, designated g20.3 here, did not display significant homology to any known DNA or protein sequence. On the basis of Northern (RNA) blot data, rimJ and g20.3 are located within the same operon. Two of the mTn10 transposons in the thermoregulatory mutants were inserted within the coding region of rimJ, indicating that the RimJ protein plays an important role in the temperature regulation of pap pilin gene transcription. However, rimJ itself is not thermoregulated, since rimJ transcripts were detected at both 23 and 37 degrees C. Disruption of the g20.3 gene by insertion and deletion mutagenesis did not affect thermoregulation of the pap operon, suggesting that, although g20.3 lies within the same operon as rimJ, it does not play a role in thermoregulation.

Thermoregulation of the pap operon: evidence for the involvement of RimJ, the N-terminal acetylase of ribosomal protein S5

Our previous work showed that pap pilin gene transcription is subject to a thermoregulatory control mechanism under which pap pilin is not transcribed at a low temperature (23 degrees C) (L. B. Blyn, B. A. Braaten, C. A. White-Ziegler, D. H. Rolfson, and D. A. Low, EMBO J. 8:613-620, 1989). In order to isolate genes involved in this temperature regulation of gene expression, chromosomal mini-Tn10 (mTn10) mutations that allowed transcription of the pap pilin gene at 23 degrees C were identified, and the locus was designated tcp, for "thermoregulatory control of pap" (C. A. White-Ziegler, L. B. Blyn, B. A. Braaten, and D. A. Low, J. Bacteriol. 172:1775-1782, 1990). In the present study, quantitative analysis showed that the tcp mutations restore pap pilin transcription at 23 degrees C to levels similar to those measured at 37 degrees C. By in vivo recombination, the tcp mutations were mapped to phage E4H10S of the Kohara library of the Escherichia coli chromosome (Y. Kohara, K. Akiyama, and K. Isono, Cell 50:495-508, 1987). The tcp locus was cloned by complementation, in which a 1.3-kb DNA fragment, derived from the Kohara phage, was shown to restore thermoregulation to the mTn10 mutants. DNA sequencing revealed two open reading frames (ORFs) encoding proteins with calculated molecular masses of 22.7 and 20.3 kDa. The sequence of the 22.7-kDa ORF was identical to that of rimJ, the N-terminal acetylase of the ribosomal protein S5. The gene encoding the 20.3-kDa ORF, designated g20.3 here, did not display significant homology to any known DNA or protein sequence. On the basis of Northern (RNA) blot data, rimJ and g20.3 are located within the same operon. Two of the mTn10 transposons in the thermoregulatory mutants were inserted within the coding region of rimJ, indicating that the RimJ protein plays an important role in the temperature regulation of pap pilin gene transcription. However, rimJ itself is not thermoregulated, since rimJ transcripts were detected at both 23 and 37 degrees C. Disruption of the g20.3 gene by insertion and deletion mutagenesis did not affect thermoregulation of the pap operon, suggesting that, although g20.3 lies within the same operon as rimJ, it does not play a role in thermoregulation.

Horizontal gene transfer of the Escherichia coli pap and prs pili operons as a mechanism for the development of tissue-specific adhesive properties

Escherichia coli strains bind to Gal alpha 1-4Gal-containing glycolipids via P pili-associated G-adhesins. Three functional classes of adhesins with different binding specificities are encoded by conserved G-alleles. We suggest that the Class I papG-allele of strain J96 is a novel acquisition possibly introduced via horizontal gene transfer into one of the two P pili gene clusters carried by this strain. Closely related strains in the ECOR collection of natural E. coli isolates carry either a Class II or a Class III G-adhesin. Data indicate that genetic exchanges involving either entire pap or prs gene clusters or individual pap/prs genes have occurred. We propose that the retention and spread of pap/prs DNA among E. coli is the result of selection pressure exerted by mammalian intestinal isoreceptors.

Evidence for a methylation-blocking factor (mbf) locus involved in pap pilus expression and phase variation in Escherichia coli

Transcription of the pyelonephritis-associated pilus (pap) operon of Escherichia coli is subject to regulation by a phase variation control mechanism in which the pap pilin gene alternates between transcriptionally active (phase-on) and inactive (phase-off) states. Pap phase variation appears to involve differential inhibition of deoxyadenosine methylase (Dam) methylation of two pap GATC sites, GATC1028 and GATC1130, located in the regulatory region upstream of the papBA promoter. DNA from phase-on cells contains an unmethylated adenosine in the GATC1028 site, whereas DNA from phase-off cells contains an unmethylated adenosine in the GATC1130 site. papI and papB are two regulatory genes in the pap operon. Analysis of pap deletion mutants suggests that papI is required for methylation inhibition at the GATC1028 site; however, neither papI nor papB is required for inhibition of methylation at the GATC1130 site. We have identified a chromosomal locus, mbf (methylation-blocking factor), that is required for methylation protection of both the pap GATC1028 and GATC1130 sites. The mbf locus was identified after transposon mTn10 mutagenesis and mapped to 19.6 min on the E. coli chromosome. The effect of transposon mutations within mbf on pap pilin transcription was determined by using a papBAp-lac operon fusion which places lacZ under control of the papBA promoter. E. coli containing mbf::mTn10 and phase-off mbf+ E. coli cells both expressed beta-galactosidase levels about 30-fold lower than the beta-galactosidase level measured for phase-on mbf+ E. coli cells. These results indicated that mbf was necessary for pap pilin transcription and were supported by Northern (RNA) blotting and primer extension analyses. Moreover, transposon insertion within mbf greatly reduced Pap pilus expression. The mbf locus was isolated on a low-copy-number cosmid, pMBF1. Complementation analysis indicated that each of seven mbf::mTn10 mutants isolated contained a transposon insertion within the same gene or operon. The identification of the mbf locus, required for pap transcription, supports the hypothesis that pap phase variation is controlled by a mechanism involving alternation between different methylation states.