Characterization of PmfR, the transcriptional activator of the pAO1-borne purU-mabO-folD operon of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans.

Abstract

Nicotine catabolism by Arthrobacter nicotinovorans is linked to the presence of the megaplasmid pAO1. Genes involved in this catabolic pathway are arranged on the plasmid into gene modules according to function. During nicotine degradation gamma-N-methylaminobutyrate is formed from the pyrrolidine ring of nicotine. Analysis of the pAO1 open reading frames (ORF) resulted in identification of the gene encoding a demethylating gamma-N-methylaminobutyrate oxidase (mabO). This gene was shown to form an operon with purU- and folD-like genes. Only in bacteria grown in the presence of nicotine could transcripts of the purU-mabO-folD operon be detected, demonstrating that this operon constitutes part of the pAO1 nicotine regulon. Its transcriptional start site was determined by primer extension analysis. Transcription of the operon was shown to be controlled by a new transcriptional regulator, PmfR, the product of a gene that is transcribed divergently from the purU, mabO, and folD genes. PmfR was purified, and electromobility shift assays and DNase I-nuclease digestion experiments were used to determine that its DNA binding site is located between -48 and -88 nucleotides upstream of the transcriptional start site of the operon. Disruption of pmfR by homologous recombination with a chloramphenicol resistance cassette demonstrated that PmfR acts in vivo as a transcriptional activator. Mutagenesis of the PmfR target DNA suggested that the sequence GTTT-14 bp-AAAC is the core binding site of the regulator upstream of the -35 promoter region of the purU-mabO-folD operon.

• Authors: Calin B Chiribau, Cristinel Sandu, Gabor L Igloi, Roderich Brandsch
• Journal: Journal of bacteriology (J Bacteriol) Vol. 187 Issue 9 Pg. 3062-70 (May 2005) ISSN: 0021-9193 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15838033 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• RNA, Bacterial
• RNA, Messenger
• Trans-Activators
• Nicotine

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Arthrobacter (genetics, physiology)
• Bacterial Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Binding Sites
• DNA Footprinting
• Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
• Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Mutagenesis, Insertional
• Nicotine (metabolism)
• Operon (genetics, physiology)
• Plasmids
• Promoter Regions, Genetic
• Protein Binding
• RNA, Bacterial (analysis)
• RNA, Messenger (analysis)
• Sequence Alignment
• Sequence Homology
• Trans-Activators (genetics, isolation & purification, metabolism)
• Transcription Initiation Site (physiology)
• Transcription, Genetic