The amino-terminal domain of the prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein XylR is a specific intramolecular repressor

An updated structural model of the A domain of the Pseudomonas putida XylR regulator poses an atypical interplay with aromatic effectors

A revised model of the aromatic binding A domain of the σ⁵⁴ -dependent regulator XylR of Pseudomonas putida mt-2 was produced based on the known 3D structures of homologous regulators PoxR, MopR and DmpR. The resulting frame was instrumental for mapping a number of mutations known to alter effector specificity, which were then reinterpreted under a dependable spatial reference. Some of these changes involved the predicted aromatic binding pocket but others occurred in distant locations, including dimerization interfaces and putative zinc binding site. The effector pocket was buried within the protein structure and accessible from the outside only through a narrow tunnel. Yet, several loop regions of the A domain could provide the flexibility required for widening such a tunnel for passage of aromatic ligands. The model was experimentally validated by treating the cells in vivo and the purified protein in vitro with benzyl bromide, which reacts with accessible nucleophilic residues on the protein surface. Structural and proteomic analyses confirmed the predicted in/out distribution of residues but also supported two additional possible scenarios of interaction of the A domain with aromatic effectors: a dynamic interaction of the fully structured yet flexible protein with the aromatic partner and/or inducer-assisted folding of the A domain.

Transcription factor-based biosensors enlightened by the analyte

Whole cell biosensors (WCBs) have multiple applications for environmental monitoring, detecting a wide range of pollutants. WCBs depend critically on the sensitivity and specificity of the transcription factor (TF) used to detect the analyte. We describe the mechanism of regulation and the structural and biochemical properties of TF families that are used, or could be used, for the development of environmental WCBs. Focusing on the chemical nature of the analyte, we review TFs that respond to aromatic compounds (XylS-AraC, XylR-NtrC, and LysR), metal ions (MerR, ArsR, DtxR, Fur, and NikR) or antibiotics (TetR and MarR). Analyzing the structural domains involved in DNA recognition, we highlight the similitudes in the DNA binding domains (DBDs) of these TF families. Opposite to DBDs, the wide range of analytes detected by TFs results in a diversity of structures at the effector binding domain. The modular architecture of TFs opens the possibility of engineering TFs with hybrid DNA and effector specificities. Yet, the lack of a crisp correlation between structural domains and specific functions makes this a challenging task.

Expanding the boolean logic of the prokaryotic transcription factor XylR by functionalization of permissive sites with a protease-target sequence

The σ54-dependent prokaryotic regulator XylR implements a one-input/one-output actuator that transduces the presence of the aromatic effector m-xylene into transcriptional activation of the cognate promoter Pu. Such a signal conversion involves the effector-mediated release of the intramolecular repression of the N-terminal A domain on the central C module of XylR. On this background, we set out to endow this regulator with additional signal-sensing capabilities by inserting a target site of the viral protease NIa in permissive protein locations that once cleaved in vivo could either terminate XylR activity or generate an effector-independent, constitutive transcription factor. To find optimal protein positions to this end, we saturated the xylR gene DNA with a synthetic transposable element designed for randomly delivering in-frame polypeptides throughout the sequence of any given protein. This Tn5-based system supplies the target gene with insertions of a selectable marker that can later be excised, leaving behind the desired (poly) peptides grafted into the protein structure. Implementation of such knock-in-leave-behind (KILB) method to XylR was instrumental to produce a number of variants of this transcription factor (TF) that could compute in vivo two inputs (m-xylene and protease) into a single output following a logic that was dependent on the site of the insertion of the NIa target sequence in the TF. Such NIa-sensitive XylR specimens afforded the design of novel regulatory nodes that entered protease expression as one of the signals recognized in vivo for controlling Pu. This approach is bound to facilitate the functionalization of TFs and other proteins with new traits, especially when their forward engineering is made difficult by, for example, the absence of structural data.

The role of bacterial enhancer binding proteins as specialized activators of σ54-dependent transcription

Bacterial enhancer binding proteins (bEBPs) are transcriptional activators that assemble as hexameric rings in their active forms and utilize ATP hydrolysis to remodel the conformation of RNA polymerase containing the alternative sigma factor σ(54). We present a comprehensive and detailed summary of recent advances in our understanding of how these specialized molecular machines function. The review is structured by introducing each of the three domains in turn: the central catalytic domain, the N-terminal regulatory domain, and the C-terminal DNA binding domain. The role of the central catalytic domain is presented with particular reference to (i) oligomerization, (ii) ATP hydrolysis, and (iii) the key GAFTGA motif that contacts σ(54) for remodeling. Each of these functions forms a potential target of the signal-sensing N-terminal regulatory domain, which can act either positively or negatively to control the activation of σ(54)-dependent transcription. Finally, we focus on the DNA binding function of the C-terminal domain and the enhancer sites to which it binds. Particular attention is paid to the importance of σ(54) to the bacterial cell and its unique role in regulating transcription.

Transcriptional regulation by the dedicated nitric oxide sensor, NorR: a route towards NO detoxification

A flavorubredoxin and its associated oxidoreductase (encoded by norV and norW respectively) detoxify NO (nitric oxide) to form N2O (nitrous oxide) under anaerobic conditions in Escherichia coli. Transcription of the norVW genes is activated in response to NO by the σ54-dependent regulator and dedicated NO sensor, NorR, a member of the bacterial enhancer-binding protein family. In the absence of NO, the catalytic activity of the central ATPase domain of NorR is repressed by the N-terminal regulatory domain that contains a non-haem iron centre. Binding of NO to this centre results in the formation of a mononitrosyl iron species, enabling the activation of ATPase activity. Our studies suggest that the highly conserved GAFTGA loop in the ATPase domain, which engages with the alternative σ factor σ54 to activate transcription, is a target for intramolecular repression by the regulatory domain. Binding of NorR to three conserved enhancer sites upstream of the norVW promoter is essential for transcriptional activation and promotes the formation of a stable higher-order NorR nucleoprotein complex. We propose that enhancer-driven assembly of this oligomeric complex, in which NorR apparently forms a DNA-bound hexamer in the absence of NO, provides a 'poised' system for transcriptional activation that can respond rapidly to nitrosative stress.

Promoter recognition and activation by the global response regulator CbrB in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the CbrA/CbrB two-component system is instrumental in the maintenance of the carbon-nitrogen balance and for growth on carbon sources that are energetically less favorable than the preferred dicarboxylate substrates. The CbrA/CbrB system drives the expression of the small RNA CrcZ, which antagonizes the repressing effects of the catabolite repression control protein Crc, an RNA-binding protein. Dicarboxylates appear to cause carbon catabolite repression by inhibiting the activity of the CbrA/CbrB system, resulting in reduced crcZ expression. Here we have identified a conserved palindromic nucleotide sequence that is present in upstream activating sequences (UASs) of promoters under positive control by CbrB and σ(54) RNA polymerase, especially in the UAS of the crcZ promoter. Evidence for recognition of this palindromic sequence by CbrB was obtained in vivo from mutational analysis of the crcZ promoter and in vitro from electrophoretic mobility shift assays using crcZ promoter fragments and purified CbrB protein truncated at the N terminus. Integration host factor (IHF) was required for crcZ expression. CbrB also activated the lipA (lipase) promoter, albeit less effectively, apparently by interacting with a similar but less conserved palindromic sequence in the UAS of lipA. As expected, succinate caused CbrB-dependent catabolite repression of the lipA promoter. Based on these results and previously published data, a consensus CbrB recognition sequence is proposed. This sequence has similarity to the consensus NtrC recognition sequence, which is relevant for nitrogen control.

Protein engineering of the transcriptional activator FhlA To enhance hydrogen production in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli produces H(2) from formate via the formate hydrogenlyase (FHL) complex during mixed acid fermentation; the FHL complex consists of formate dehydrogenase H (encoded by fdhF) for forming 2H(+), 2e(-), and CO(2) from formate and hydrogenase 3 (encoded by hycGE) for synthesizing H(2) from 2H(+) and 2e(-). FHL protein production is activated by the sigma(54) transcriptional activator FhlA, which activates transcription of fdhF and the hyc, hyp, and hydN-hypF operons. Here, through random mutagenesis using error-prone PCR over the whole gene, as well as over the fhlA region encoding the first 388 amino acids of the 692-amino-acid protein, we evolved FhlA to increase H(2) production. The amino acid replacements in FhlA133 (Q11H, L14V, Y177F, K245R, M288K, and I342F) increased hydrogen production ninefold, and the replacements in FhlA1157 (M6T, S35T, L113P, S146C, and E363K) increased hydrogen production fourfold. Saturation mutagenesis at the codons corresponding to the amino acid replacements in FhlA133 and at position E363 identified the importance of position L14 and of E363 for the increased activity; FhlA with replacements L14G and E363G increased hydrogen production (fourfold and sixfold, respectively) compared to FhlA. Whole-transcriptome and promoter reporter constructs revealed that the mechanism by which the FhlA133 changes increase hydrogen production is by increasing transcription of all of the genes activated by FhlA (the FHL complex). With FhlA133, transcription of P(fdhF) and P(hyc) is less sensitive to formate regulation, and with FhlA363 (E363G), P(hyc) transcription increases but P(hyp) transcription decreases and hydrogen production is less affected by the repressor HycA.

The expression ofnifBgene fromHerbaspirillum seropedicaeis dependent upon the NifA and RpoN proteins

The putative nifB promoter region of Herbaspirillum seropedicae contained two sequences homologous to NifA-binding site and a –24/–12 type promoter. A nifB::lacZ fusion was assayed in the backgrounds of both Escherichia coli and H. seropedicae. In E. coli, the expression of nifB::lacZ occurred only in the presence of functional rpoN and Klebsiella pneumoniae nifA genes. In addition, the integration host factor (IHF) stimulated the expression of the nifB::lacZ fusion in this background. In H. seropedicae, nifB expression occurred only in the absence of ammonium and under low levels of oxygen, and it was shown to be strictly dependent on NifA. DNA band shift experiments showed that purified K. pneumoniae RpoN and E. coli IHF proteins were capable of binding to the nifB promoter region, and in vivo dimethylsulfate footprinting showed that NifA binds to both NifA-binding sites. These results strongly suggest that the expression of the nifB promoter of H. seropedicae is dependent on the NifA and RpoN proteins and that the IHF protein stimulates NifA activation of nifB promoter.Key words: Herbaspirillum seropedicae, nif, nitrogen fixation, NifA, RpoN.

The flagellar hierarchy of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is controlled by the concerted action of two enhancer-binding proteins

The expression of the bacterial flagellar genes follows a hierarchical pattern. In Rhodobacter sphaeroides the flagellar genes encoding the hook and basal body proteins are expressed from sigma54-dependent promoters. This type of promoters is always regulated by transcriptional activators that belong to the family of the enhancer-binding proteins (EBPs). We searched for possible EBPs in the genome of R. sphaeroides and mutagenized two open reading frames (ORFs) (fleQ and fleT), which are in the vicinity of flagellar genes. The resulting mutants were non-motile and could only be complemented by the wild-type copy of the mutagenized gene. Transcriptional fusions showed that all the flagellar sigma54-dependent promoters with exception of fleTp, required both transcriptional activators for their expression. Interestingly, transcription of the fleT operon is only dependent on FleQ, and FleT has a negative effect. Both activators were capable of hydrolysing ATP, and were capable of promoting transcription from the flagellar promoters at some extent. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggest that only FleQ interacts with DNA whereas FleT improves binding of FleQ to DNA. A four-tiered flagellar transcriptional hierarchy and a regulatory mechanism based on the intracellular concentration of both activators and differential enhancer affinities are proposed.

Surveying biotransformations with a la carte genetic traps: translating dehydrochlorination of lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) into lacZ-based phenotypes

The ability of the product of a desired reaction to activate a bacterial transcriptional regulator was exploited to develop genetic traps that render the catalytic activity born by a DNA clone into a selectable/scorable phenotype. We established this strategy with a system to expose the activity of dehydrochlorinases acting upon gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH or lindane). To this end, the effector-binding protein, XylR, was evolved by gene shuffling plus mutagenic polymerase chain reaction to be optimally responsive to the major product of gamma-HCH dehydrochlorination, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB). We then derived Escherichia coli strains that constitutively expressed the modified XylR variant (named XylR5) and had lacZ under control of the Pu promoter, which is activated by XylR. A robotic beta-galactosidase assay indicated that when the resulting strain was transformed with a linA+ clone (expressing a gamma-HCH dehydrochlorinase from Sphingomonas paucimobilis UT26), it had levels of beta-galactosidase that were dependent on the gamma-HCH concentration. This à la carte host thus translated the conversion of gamma-HCH to TCB into upregulation of lacZ. An alternate host additionally expressing LacY grew efficiently on lactose only when LacZ was upregulated in a fashion dependent on TCB or other effectors of XylR5. These results demonstrated the power of deriving a host for the genetic scrutiny, rather than enzymatic screening, of clones expressing a given catabolic enzyme.

Transcriptional regulators à la carte: engineering new effector specificities in bacterial regulatory proteins

For many regulators of bacterial biodegradation pathways, small molecule/effector binding is the signal for triggering transcriptional activation. Thus, regulation results from a cross-talk between chemicals sensed by transcriptional factors and operon expression status. These features can be utilised in the construction of biosensors for a wide range of target compounds as, in principle, any regulatory protein whose activity is modulated by binding to a small molecule can have its effector/inducer profile artificially altered. The cognate specificities of a number of regulatory proteins have been modified as an astute approach to developing, among others, bacterial biosensors for environmentally relevant compounds.

Integration of signals through Crc and PtsN in catabolite repression of Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid pWW0

Toluene degradation in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 pWW0 plasmid is subjected to catabolite repression. Pu and P(S1) promoters of the pWW0 TOL plasmid are down-regulated in vivo during exponential growth in rich medium. In cells growing on minimal medium, yeast extract (YE) addition mimics exponential-phase rich medium repression of these promoters. We have constructed and tested mutants in a series of global regulators described in Pseudomonas. We describe that a mutant in crc (catabolite repression control) partially relieves YE repression. Macroarray experiments show that crc transcription is strongly increased in the presence of YE, inversely correlated with TOL pathway expression. On the other hand, we have found that induced levels of expression from Pu and P(S) in the presence of YE are partially derepressed in a ptsN mutant of P. putida. PtsN but not Crc seems to directly interfere with XylR activation at target promoters. The effect of the double mutation in ptsN and crc is not the sum of the effects of each independent mutation and suggests that both regulators are elements of a common regulatory pathway. Basal expression levels from these promoters in the absence of inducer are still XylR dependent and are also repressed in the presence of yeast extract. Neither crc nor ptsN could relieve this repression.

Characterization of HbpR binding by site-directed mutagenesis of its DNA-binding site and by deletion of the effector domain

In the presence of 2-hydroxybiphenyl, the enhancer binding protein, HbpR, activates the sigma54-dependent P(hbpC) promoter and controls the initial steps of 2-hydroxybiphenyl degradation in Pseudomonas azelaica. In the activation process, an oligomeric HbpR complex of unknown subunit composition binds to an operator region containing two imperfect palindromic sequences. Here, the HbpR-DNA binding interactions were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis of the operator region and by DNA-binding assays using purified HbpR. Mutations that disrupted the twofold symmetry in the palindromes did not affect the binding affinity of HbpR, but various mutations along a 60 bp region, and also outside the direct palindromic sequences, decreased the binding affinity. Footprints of HbpR on mutant operator fragments showed that a partial loss of binding contacts occurs, suggesting that the binding of one HbpR 'protomer' in the oligomeric complex is impaired whilst leaving the other contacts intact. An HbpR variant, devoid of its N-terminal sensing A-domain, was unable to activate transcription from the hbpC promoter while maintaining protection of the operator DNA in footprints. Wild-type HbpR was unable to activate transcription from the hbpC promoter when delta A-HbpR was expressed in the same cell, suggesting the formation of (repressing) hetero-oligomers. This model implies that HbpR can self-associate on its operator DNA without effector recognition or ATP binding. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the N-terminal sensing domain of HbpR is needed to activate the central ATPase domain rather than to repress a constitutively active C domain, as is the case for the related regulatory protein XylR.

2-Methylcitrate-dependent activation of the propionate catabolic operon (prpBCDE) of Salmonella enterica by the PrpR protein

The function of the PrpR protein of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 was studied in vitro and in vivo. The PrpR protein is a sensor of 2-methylcitrate (2-MC), an intermediate of the 2-methylcitric acid cycle used by this bacterium to convert propionate to pyruvate. PrpR was unresponsive to citrate (a close structural analogue of 2-MC) and to propionate, suggesting that 2-MC, not propionate, is the metabolite that signals the presence of propionate in the environment to S. enterica. prpR alleles encoding mutant proteins with various levels of 2-MC-independent activity were isolated. All lesions causing constitutive PrpR activity were mapped to the N-terminal domain of the protein. Removal of the entire sensing domain resulted in a protein (PrpR(c)) with the highest 2-MC-independent activity. Residue A162 is critical to 2-MC sensing, since the mutant PrpR protein PrpR(A162T) was as active as the PrpR(c) protein in the absence of 2-MC. DNA footprinting studies identified the site in the region between prpR and the prpBCDE operon to which the PrpR protein binds. Analysis of the binding-site sequence revealed two sites with dyad symmetry. Results from DNase I footprinting assays suggested that the PrpR protein may have higher affinity for the site proximal to the P(prpBCDE) promoter.

Physiological stress of intracellular Shigella flexneri visualized with a metabolic sensor fused to a surface-reporter system

When deleted of its N-terminal signal-reception domain, the broad host range sigma54-dependent transcriptional regulator XylR, along with its cognate promoter Pu, becomes a sensor of the metabolic stress of the carrier bacteria. We have employed a surface reporter system to visualize the physiological status of intracellular Shigella flexneri during infection of Henle 407 cells in culture. To this end, the xylRDeltaA gene has been engineered adjacent to a bicistronic transcriptional fusion of Pu to a lamB variant tagged with a short viral sequence (cor) and beta-galactosidase (lacZ). The accessibility of the cor epitope to the externalmost medium and the expression of Pu in the bacterial population was confirmed, respectively, with immunomagnetic beads and the sorting of Escherichia coli cells treated with a fluorescent antibody. Intracellular Shigella cells expressed the Pu-lamB/cor-lacZ reporter at high levels, suggesting that infectious cells endure a considerable metabolic constraint during the invasion process.

Construction and comparison of Escherichia coli whole-cell biosensors capable of detecting aromatic compounds

The XylR regulatory protein is a transcription factor involved in the BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) degradation pathway in Pseudomonas species. When XylR-dependent stimulation of transcription from a plasmid containing XylR and its cognate promoters Pr and Pu was monitored as firefly luciferase activities in Escherichia coli, a notably high level of basal activity was observed in the absence of inducers. To improve the response specificity of XylR in this system, two related but different promoters were tested for their activities; the XylS activator promoter Ps and the DmpR activator promoter Po. Po with the deletion of its own upstream activating sequences (UASs; Po') showed a very low level of basal activity compared to Pu and Ps. The maximum level with the addition of inducers was increased 3151-fold by o-xylene with Po', while it was 31.5 and 74.1 fold by m-xylene with Pu and Ps, respectively. Gel mobility shift assay showed that the purified XylR without inducers can bind to Pr/Pu but not to Pr/Po', implying that XylR multimerization with Pr/Pu could be formed for initiation of transcription in this system. The data suggest that Po' can be an excellent alternative in constructing a signal-intensified, whole-cell biosensor in response to the xenobiotics.

Genetic evidence that catabolites of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway signal C source repression of the sigma54 Pu promoter of Pseudomonas putida

Glucose and other C sources exert an atypical form of catabolic repression on the sigma54-dependent promoter Pu, which drives transcription of an operon for m-xylene degradation encoded by the TOL plasmid pWW0 in Pseudomonas putida. We have used a genetic approach to identify the catabolite(s) shared by all known repressive C sources that appears to act as the intracellular signal that triggers downregulation of Pu. To this end, we reconstructed from genomic data the pathways for metabolism of repressor (glucose, gluconate) and nonrepressor (fructose) C sources. Since P. putida lacks fructose-6-phosphate kinase, glucose and gluconate appear to be metabolized exclusively by the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway, while fructose can be channeled through the Embden-Meyerhof (EM) route. An insertion in the gene fda (encoding fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) that forces fructose metabolism to be routed exclusively to the ED pathway makes this sugar inhibitory for Pu. On the contrary, a crc mutation known to stimulate expression of the ED enzymes causes the promoter to be less sensitive to glucose. Interrupting the ED pathway by knocking out eda (encoding 2-dehydro-3-deoxyphosphogluconate aldolase) exacerbates the inhibitory effect of glucose in Pu. These observations pinpoint the key catabolites of the ED route, 6-phosphogluconate and/or 2-dehydro-3-deoxyphosphogluconate, as the intermediates that signal Pu repression. This notion is strengthened by the observation that 2-ketogluconate, which enters the ED pathway by conversion into these compounds, is a strong repressor of the Pu promoter.

Bacterial transcriptional regulators for degradation pathways of aromatic compounds

Human activities have resulted in the release and introduction into the environment of a plethora of aromatic chemicals. The interest in discovering how bacteria are dealing with hazardous environmental pollutants has driven a large research community and has resulted in important biochemical, genetic, and physiological knowledge about the degradation capacities of microorganisms and their application in bioremediation, green chemistry, or production of pharmacy synthons. In addition, regulation of catabolic pathway expression has attracted the interest of numerous different groups, and several catabolic pathway regulators have been exemplary for understanding transcription control mechanisms. More recently, information about regulatory systems has been used to construct whole-cell living bioreporters that are used to measure the quality of the aqueous, soil, and air environment. The topic of biodegradation is relatively coherent, and this review presents a coherent overview of the regulatory systems involved in the transcriptional control of catabolic pathways. This review summarizes the different regulatory systems involved in biodegradation pathways of aromatic compounds linking them to other known protein families. Specific attention has been paid to describing the genetic organization of the regulatory genes, promoters, and target operon(s) and to discussing present knowledge about signaling molecules, DNA binding properties, and operator characteristics, and evidence from regulatory mutants. For each regulator family, this information is combined with recently obtained protein structural information to arrive at a possible mechanism of transcription activation. This demonstrates the diversity of control mechanisms existing in catabolic pathways.

Integrated regulation in response to aromatic compounds: from signal sensing to attractive behaviour

Deciphering the complex interconnecting bacterial responses to the presence of aromatic compounds is required to gain an integrated understanding of how aromatic catabolic processes function in relation to their genome and environmental context. In addition to the properties of the catabolic enzymes themselves, regulatory responses on at least three different levels are important. At a primary level, aromatic compounds control the activity of specific members of many families of transcriptional regulators to direct the expression of the specialized enzymes for their own catabolism. At a second level, dominant global regulation in response to environmental and physiological cues is incorporated to subvert and couple transcription levels to the energy status of the bacteria. Mediators of these global regulatory responses include the alarmone (p)ppGpp, the DNA-bending protein IHF and less well-defined systems that probably sense the energy status through the activity of the electron transport chain. At a third level, aromatic compounds can also impact on catabolic performance by provoking behavioural responses that allow the bacteria to seek out aromatic growth substrates in their environment.

Sigma 54 levels and physiological control of the Pseudomonas putida Pu promoter

The cellular levels of the alternative sigma factor sigma(54) of Pseudomonas putida have been examined in a variety of growth stages and culture conditions with a single-chain Fv antibody tailored for detection of scarce proteins. The levels of sigma(54) were also monitored in P. putida strains with knockout mutations in ptsO or ptsN, known to be required for the C-source control of the sigma(54)-dependent Pu promoter of the TOL plasmid. Our results show that approximately 80 +/- 26 molecules of sigma(54) exist per cell. Unlike that in relatives of Pseudomonas (e.g., Caulobacter), where fluctuations of sigma(54) determine adaptation and differentiation when cells face starvation, sigma(54) in P. putida remains unexpectedly constant at different growth stages, in nitrogen starvation and C-source repression conditions, and in the ptsO and ptsN mutant strains analyzed. The number of sigma(54) molecules per cell in P. putida is barely above the predicted number of sigma(54)-dependent promoters. These figures impose a framework on the mechanism by which Pu (and other sigma(54)-dependent systems) may become amenable to physiological control.

Deciphering the action of aromatic effectors on the prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein XylR: a structural model of its N-terminal domain

The prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein XylR is the central regulator of the toluene degradation pathway in Pseudomonas species. Copious genetic and biochemical data indicate that the N-terminal domain of the protein (domain A) interacts directly with m-xylene, which renders the protein competent as a transcriptional activator. Single-site and shuffling mutants of XylR or homologues have been reported to change or expand their effector profiles. Here, we follow a fold recognition approach to generate three-dimensional models of the domain A of XylR and DmpR with the purpose of deciphering the molecular activity of this protein family. The model is based on the crystallographic data of the rat catechol O-methyltransferase, a typical alpha/beta fold, consisting of eight alpha-helices and seven beta-strands. The fold identification is supported by physico-chemical properties of conserved amino acids, distribution of residues characteristic of the sequence families and confrontation with experimental data. The model not only provides a rationale for understanding published experimental data, but also suggests the molecular mechanism of the activation step and is a potentially useful conceptual tool for designing regulators with predefined inducer specificities.

Monitoring intracellular levels of XylR in Pseudomonas putida with a single-chain antibody specific for aromatic-responsive enhancer-binding proteins

We have isolated a recombinant phage antibody (Phab) that binds a distinct epitope of the subclass of the sigma(54)-dependent prokaryotic enhancer-binding proteins that respond directly to aromatic effectors, e.g., those that activate biodegradative operons of Pseudomonas spp. The DNA segments encoding the variable (V) domains of the immunoglobulins expressed by mice immunized with the C-terminal half of TouR (TouRDeltaA) of Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 were amplified and rearranged in vitro as single-chain Fv (scFv) genes. An scFv library was thereby constructed, expressed in an M13 display system, and subjected to a panning procedure with TouR. One clone (named B7) was selected with high affinity for TouR and XylR (the regulator of the upper TOL operon of the pWW0 plasmid). The epitope recognized by this Phab was mapped to the peptide TPRAQATLLRVL, which seems to be characteristic of the group of enhancer-binding proteins to which TouR and XylR belong and which is located adjacent to the Walker B motif of the proteins. The Phab B7 was instrumental in measuring directly the intracellular levels of XylR expressed from its natural promoter in monocopy gene dosage in Pseudomonas putida under various conditions. Growth stage, the physical form of the protein produced (XylR or XylRDeltaA), and the presence or absence of aromatic inducers in the medium influenced the intracellular pool of these molecules. XylR oscillated from a minimum of approximately 30 molecules (monomers) per cell during exponential phase to approximately140 molecules per cell at stationary phase. Activation of XylR by aromatic inducers decreased the intracellular concentration of the regulator. The levels of the constitutively active variant of XylR named XylRDeltaA were higher, fluctuating between approximately 90 and approximately 570 molecules per cell, depending on the growth stage. These results are compatible with the present model of transcriptional autoregulation of XylR and suggest the existence of mechanisms controlling the stability of XylR protein in vivo.

A la carte transcriptional regulators: unlocking responses of the prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein XylR to non-natural effectors

To investigate the activation mechanism of the enhancer-binding protein XylR encoded by the TOL plasmid of Pseudomonas putida mt-2, a combinatorial library was generated composed of shuffled N-terminal A domains of the homologous regulators DmpR, XylR and TbuT, reassembled within the XylR structure. When the library was screened in vivo for responsiveness to non-effectors bulkier than one aromatic ring (such as biphenyl) or bearing an entirely different distribution of electronegative groups (e.g. nitrotoluenes), protein variants were found that displayed an expanded inducer range including the new effectors. Although the phenotypes endowed with the corresponding changes were largely similar, the modifications involved different sites within the A domain. The positions of the mutations within a structural model of the A domain suggest that expansion of the inducer profile can be brought about not only by changes in the effector pocket of the protein but also by unlocking steps of the signal transmission mechanism that follows effector binding. These results provide a rationale for evolving in vitro regulators à la carte that are responsive to predetermined, natural or xenobiotic chemical species.

Enhancer-binding proteins HrpR and HrpS interact to regulate hrp-encoded type III protein secretion in Pseudomonas syringae strains

In Pseudomonas syringae strains, the hrp-hrc pathogenicity island consists of an HrpL-dependent regulon that encodes a type III protein translocation complex and translocated effector proteins required for pathogenesis. HrpR and HrpS function as positive regulatory factors for the hrpL promoter, but their mechanism of action has not been established. Both HrpR and HrpS are structurally related to enhancer-binding proteins, but they lack receiver domains and do not appear to require a cognate protein kinase for activity. hrpR and hrpS were shown to be expressed as an operon: a promoter was identified 5' to hrpR, and reverse transcriptase PCR detected the presence of an hrpRS transcript. The hrpR promoter and coding sequence were conserved among P. syringae strains. The coding sequences for hrpR and hrpS were cloned into compatible expression vectors, and their activities were monitored in Escherichia coli transformants carrying an hrpL'-lacZ fusion. HrpS could function as a weak activator of the hrpL promoter, but the activity was only 2.5% of the activity detected when both HrpR and HrpS were expressed in the reporter strain. This finding is consistent with a requirement for both HrpR and HrpS in the activation of the hrpL promoter. By using a yeast two-hybrid assay, an interaction between HrpR and HrpS was detected, suggestive of the formation of a heteromeric complex. Physical interaction of HrpR and HrpS was confirmed by column-binding experiments. The results show that HrpR and HrpS physically interact to regulate the sigma(54)-dependent hrpL promoter in P. syringae strains.

New insights into the activation of o-xylene biodegradation in Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 by pathway substrates

The regulation of the tou operon of Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1, for degradation of toluene and o-xylene via phenolic intermediates, has been faithfully reconstructed in vitro with purified proteins. The set-up included the prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein TouR, the sigma54-dependent PToMO promoter and the sigma54-containing RNA polymerase. With this system we prove that direct binding of 2-methylphenol (o-cresol) to TouR is the only regulatory step for activation of PToMO in response to aromatic effectors, thereby ruling out the involvement of other factors or a need for protein processing. In addition, we found that while TouR failed entirely to activate PToMO in the absence of inducers, the protein had per se a very significant ATPase activity, which was only moderately increased by o-cresol addition. The results presented here support the view that TouR-like proteins are particularly suitable as evolutionary assets to endow recently evolved pathways for the degradation of environmental pollutants with an optimal degree of transcriptional regulation.

Roles of glucitol in the GutR-mediated transcription activation process in Bacillus subtilis: glucitol induces GutR to change its conformation and to bind ATP

GutR is a 95-kDa glucitol-dependent transcription activator that mediates the expression of the Bacillus subtilis glucitol operon. Glucitol allows GutR to bind tightly to its binding site located upstream of the gut promoter. In this study, a second functional role of glucitol is identified. Glucitol induces GutR to change its conformation and triggers GutR to bind ATP efficiently. After sequential binding of glucitol and ATP to GutR, GutR adopts a new conformation by forming a compact structure that is resistant to trypsin digestion. Under this condition, the ATP.glucitiol.GutR complex can dissociate slowly from the gutR-binding site (t(12) = 274 min). Interestingly, if ATP in the ATP.glucitiol.GutR complex is replaced by ADP, GutR adopts another conformation and can dissociate from the gutR-binding site even faster (t(12) = 82 min). In all these GutR-DNA binding studies in the presence of different ligands (glucitol, ATP, or ADP), only the off-rate is affected. The vital role of ATP in the GutR-mediated transcription activation process is reflected by the poor transcription from the gut promoter with GutR(D285A) which has a mutation in the motif B of the putative ATP-binding site. A working model for this transcription activation process is presented.

Transcriptional regulation at a distance in bacteria

Transcriptional enhancers are cis-acting DNA elements that are binding sites for regulatory proteins and function at large distances from promoter elements to stimulate transcription. Once thought to be unique to eukaryotes, enhancer-like elements have been discovered in a wide variety of bacteria. The regulatory proteins that bind to these bacterial enhancers must contact RNA polymerase to activate transcription. In principle, interactions between bacterial enhancer-binding proteins and RNA polymerase can occur by either DNA looping or tracking of the enhancer-binding protein along the DNA. Paradigms for each of these methods are found in bacterial systems. Activators of sigma(54)-RNA polymerase holoenzyme contact polymerase by DNA looping, while bacteriophage T4 gp45 functions as a sliding clamp that tracks along DNA until it engages RNA polymerase. Significant advances have been made over the last few years towards understanding the mechanisms by which bacterial enhancer-binding proteins activate transcription, but important aspects of these mechanisms are still poorly defined.

An active role for a structured B-linker in effector control of the sigma54-dependent regulator DmpR

The activities of many prokaryotic sigma54-dependent transcriptional activators are controlled by the N-terminal A-domain of the protein, which is linked to the central transcriptional activation domain via a short B-linker. It used to be thought that these B-linkers simply serve as flexible tethers. Here we show that the B-linker of the aromatic-responsive regulator DmpR and many other regulators of the family contain signature heptad repeats with regularly spaced hydrophobic amino acids. Mutant analysis of this region of DmpR demonstrates that B-linker function is dependent on the heptad repeats and is critical for activation of the protein by aromatic effectors. The phenotypes of DmpR mutants refute the existing model that the level of ATPase activity directly controls the level of transcription it promotes. The mutant analysis also shows that the B-linker is involved in repression of ATPase activity and that allosteric changes upon effector binding are transduced to alleviate both B-linker repression of ATP hydrolysis and A-domain repression of transcriptional activation. The mechanistic implications of these findings for DmpR and other family members are discussed.

Transcriptional organization and dynamic expression of the hbpCAD genes, which encode the first three enzymes for 2-hydroxybiphenyl degradation in Pseudomonas azelaica HBP1

Pseudomonas azelaica HBP1 degrades the toxic substance 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) by means of three enzymes that are encoded by structural genes hbpC, hbpA, and hbpD. These three genes form a small noncontiguous cluster. Their expression is activated by the product of regulatory gene hbpR, which is located directly upstream of the hbpCAD genes. The HbpR protein is a transcription activator and belongs to the so-called XylR/DmpR subclass within the NtrC family of transcriptional activators. Transcriptional fusions between the different hbp intergenic regions and the luxAB genes of Vibrio harveyi in P. azelaica and in Escherichia coli revealed the existence of two HbpR-regulated promoters; one is located in front of hbpC, and the other one is located in front of hbpD. Northern analysis confirmed that the hbpC and hbpA genes are cotranscribed, whereas the hbpD gene is transcribed separately. No transcripts comprising the entire hbpCAD cluster were detected, indicating that transcription from P(hbpC) is terminated after the hbpA gene. E. coli mutant strains lacking the structural genes for the RNA polymerase sigma(54) subunit or for the integration host factor failed to express bioluminescence from P(hbpC)- and P(hbpD)-luxAB fusions when a functional hbpR gene was provided in trans. This pointed to the active role of sigma(54) and integration host factor in transcriptional activation from these promoters. Primer extension analysis revealed that both P(hbpC) and P(hbpD) contain the typical motifs at position -24 (GG) and -12 (GC) found in sigma(54)-dependent promoters. Analysis of changes in the synthesis of the hbp mRNAs, in activities of the 2-HBP pathway enzymes, and in concentrations of 2-HBP intermediates during the first 4 h after induction of continuously grown P. azelaica cells with 2-HBP demonstrated that the specific transcriptional organization of the hbp genes ensured smooth pathway expression.

The role of the interdomain B linker in the activation of the XylR protein of Pseudomonas putida

In the presence of toluene and other structural analogues, the enhancer binding protein XylR activates the sigma54 promoter Pu of the TOL (toluene degradation) plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida. Introduction of amino acid changes Val-219Asp and Ala-220Pro, which enter a proline kink at the interdomain region (B linker) between the A (signal reception) module and the central portion of XylR, originated a protein with unforeseen properties. These included a minor ability to activate Pu in the absence of aromatic effectors, a much higher responsiveness to m-xylene and a significant response to a large collection of aromatic inducers. Such changes could not be attributed to variations in XylR expression levels or to the fortuitous creation of a novel promoter, but to a genuine change in the properties of the activator. Structural predictions suggested that the mutation entirely disrupted an otherwise probable coiled-coil structure. A second directed mutant within the same region consisting of a major replacement of amino acids A220-N221 by the peptide HHHR produced an even more exacerbated phenotype. These data support a model in which the linker B region influences the effector profile by modifying at a distance the operative shape of the effector pocket and fixing the protein in an intermediate step of the activation process.

Visualization of DNA-protein intermediates during activation of the Pu promoter of the TOL plasmid of Pseudomonas putida

The ATP-dependent multimerization process undergone by the sigma(54)-dependent activator XylR of the TOL plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida when bound to the upstream activating sequences (UAS) of the cognate PU: promoter was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To this end, supercoiled DNA templates were combined with increasing concentrations of the constitutive XylR variant XylRDeltaA, with or without ATP or its non-hydrolysable analogue ATPgammaS, and the resulting complexes were visualized by TEM. The different types of DNA-protein association were analysed and a statistical study of the frequency of the various forms was made. ATP appeared to establish an equilibrium between different molecular associations, as well as major changes in the physical shape of the DNA-protein complexes. The formation of higher nucleoprotein structures frequently bearing DNA bends became manifest. Such complexes often engaged otherwise separated UAS-containing plasmids, indicating that the ATP-driven multimer included XylR molecules recruited in trans. Whilst ATP caused the different types of XylR-DNA complex to occur at quite balanced frequencies, ATPgammaS appeared to displace the distribution predominantly towards the higher order forms. These data are compatible with the notion that each time ATP is hydrolysed the transcriptional activation complex is disassembled.

Analysis of the domain structure and the DNA binding site of the transcriptional activator FhlA

FhlA is the transcriptional activator of the genes coding for the formate hydrogen lyase system in Escherichia coli. It is activated by the binding of formate and induces transcription by sigma54 RNA polymerase after binding to specific upstream activating sequences (UAS). Sequence comparison had shown that FhlA exhibits a structure composed of three domains, which is typical for sigma54-dependent regulators. By analyzing the N-terminal domain of FhlA of E. coli (amino acids 1-378; FhlA-N) and the rest of the protein (amino acids 379-693; FhlA-C) as separate proteins in vivo and in vitro the functions of the different domains of FhlA were elucidated. The FhlA-C domain is active in ATP hydrolysis and activation of transcription and its activity is neither influenced by the presence of formate nor of the antiactivator HycA. However, it is stimulated in the presence of the FhlA-specific UAS, indicating that this region of FhlA is responsible for DNA binding. FhlA-N is not active itself but able to reduce the activity of full-length FhlA in trans, probably by formation of nonfunctional heterooligomers. The DNA binding site of FhlA was analyzed by hydroxyradical footprinting. Each UAS consists of two binding sites of 16 bp separated by a spacer region. A consensus sequence could be deduced and a model is presented and supported by in vivo data in which a FhlA tetramer binds to the UAS on one side of the DNA helix. Performing an extensive screening we could show that the FhlA regulatory system is conserved in different species of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The analysis of orthologs of FhlA revealed that they are able to functionally replace the E. coli enzyme.

Identification of an effector specificity subregion within the aromatic-responsive regulators DmpR and XylR by DNA shuffling

The Pseudomonas derived sigma(54)-dependent regulators DmpR and XylR control the expression of genes involved in catabolism of aromatic compounds. Binding to distinct, nonoverlapping groups of aromatic effectors controls the activities of these transcriptional activators. Previous work has derived a common mechanistic model for these two regulators in which effector binding by the N-terminal 210 residues (the A-domain) of the protein relieves repression of an intrinsic ATPase activity essential for its transcription-promoting property and allows productive interaction with the transcriptional apparatus. Here we dissect the A-domains of DmpR and XylR by DNA shuffling to identify the region(s) that mediates the differences in the effector specificity profiles. Analysis of in vivo transcription in response to multiple aromatic effectors and the in vitro phenol-binding abilities of regulator derivatives with hybrid DmpR/XylR A-domains reveals that residues 110 to 186 are key determinants that distinguish the effector profiles of DmpR and XylR. Moreover, the properties of some mosaic DmpR/XylR derivatives reveal that high-affinity aromatic effector binding can be completely uncoupled from the ability to promote transcription. Hence, novel aromatic binding properties will only be translated into functional transcriptional activation if effector binding also triggers release of interdomain repression.

HbpR, a new member of the XylR/DmpR subclass within the NtrC family of bacterial transcriptional activators, regulates expression of 2-hydroxybiphenyl metabolism in Pseudomonas azelaica HBP1

The regulation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl degradation in Pseudomonas azelaica is mediated by the regulatory gene, hbpR. The hbpR gene encodes a 63-kDa protein belonging to the NtrC family of prokaryotic transcriptional activators and having the highest homology to members of the XylR/DmpR subclass. Disruption of the hbpR gene in P. azelaica and complementation in trans showed that the HbpR protein was the key regulator for 2-hydroxybiphenyl metabolism. Induction experiments with P. azelaica and Escherichia coli containing luxAB-based transcriptional fusions revealed that HbpR activates transcription from a promoter (P(hbpC)) in front of the first gene for 2-hydroxybiphenyl degradation, hbpC, and that 2-hydroxybiphenyl itself is the direct effector for HbpR-mediated activation. Of several compounds tested, only the pathway substrates 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl and structural analogs like 2-aminobiphenyl and 2-hydroxybiphenylmethane were effectors for HbpR activation. HbpR is therefore, to our knowledge, the first regulator of the XylR/DmpR class that recognizes biaromatic but not monoaromatic structures. Analysis of a spontaneously occurring mutant, P. azelaica HBP1 Prp, which can grow with the non-wild-type effector 2-propylphenol, revealed a single mutation in the hbpR gene (T613C) leading to a Trp-->Arg substitution at amino acid residue 205. P. azelaica HBP1 derivative strains without a functional hbpR gene constitutively expressed the genes for 2-hydroxybiphenyl degradation when complemented in trans with the hbpR-T613C gene. This suggests the importance of this residue, which is conserved among all members of the XylR/DmpR subclass, for interdomain repression.

The IIANtr (PtsN) protein of Pseudomonas putida mediates the C source inhibition of the sigma54-dependent Pu promoter of the TOL plasmid

The gene cluster adjacent to the sequence of rpoN (encoding sigma factor sigma54) of Pseudomonas putida has been studied with respect to the C source regulation of the Pu promoter of the upper TOL (toluene catabolism) operon. The region includes four open reading frames (ORFs), two of which (named ptsN and ptsO genes) encode proteins similar to components of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system. Each of the four genes was disrupted with a nonpolar insertion, and the effects in the inhibition caused by glucose on Pu activity were inspected with a lacZ reporter system. Although cells lacking ORF102, ORF284, and ptsO did not display any evident phenotype under the conditions tested, the loss of ptsN, which encodes the IIANtr protein, made Pu unresponsive to repression by glucose. The ptsN mutant had rates of glucose/gluconate consumption identical to those of the wild type, thus ruling out indirect effects mediated by the transport of the carbohydrate. A site-directed ptsN mutant in which the conserved phospho-acceptor site His68 of IIANtr was replaced by an aspartic acid residue made Pu blind to the presence or absence of glucose, thus supporting the notion that phosphorylation of IIANtr mediates the C source inhibition of the promoter. These data substantiate the existence of a molecular pathway for co-regulation of some sigma54 promoters in which IIANtr is a key protein intermediate.

Involvement of the FtsH (HflB) protease in the activity of sigma 54 promoters

The effect of FtsH, an essential inner membrane-bound protease, in the regulation of the sigma 54-dependent Pu promoter has been examined in vivo. Escherichia coli cells lacking FtsH failed to activate a Pu-lacZ fusion in response to the cognate enhancer-binding protein XylR. However, the intracellular concentrations of XylR and sigma 54, as well as their apparent physical integrity were the same regardless of the presence or absence of the protease. The loss of Pu activity in FtsH-minus cells was not due to the imbalance between sigma factors caused by the lack of the protease. ftsH mutants could not grow in media with glutamine as the only nitrogen source and failed also to induce the sigma 54 promoters PnifH by NifA and PpspA by PspF. These lesions were fully complemented by a ftsH+ plasmid. Therefore, part of the pleiotropic phenotype of FtsH-less cells corresponded to the lack of sigma 54 activity. Overproduction of sigma 54, however, restored both transcriptional activity of Pu and growth in glutamine of a ftsH strain. These observations suggested that the activity of sigma 54 is checked in vivo by an interplay of factors that ultimately determine the performance of cognate promoters under given physiological conditions.

The C-terminal domain of Sin1 interacts with the SWI-SNF complex in yeast

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the SWI-SNF complex has been proposed to antagonize the repressive effects of chromatin by disrupting nucleosomes. The SIN genes were identified as suppressors of defects in the SWI-SNF complex, and the SIN1 gene encodes an HMG1-like protein that has been proposed to be a component of chromatin. Specific mutations (sin mutations) in both histone H3 and H4 genes produce the same phenotypic effects as do mutations in the SIN1 gene. In this study, we demonstrate that Sin1 and the H3 and H4 histones interact genetically and that the C terminus of Sin1 physically associates with components of the SWI-SNF complex. In addition, we demonstrate that this interaction is blocked in the full-length Sin1 protein by the N-terminal half of the protein. Based on these and additional results, we propose that Sin1 acts as a regulatable bridge between the SWI-SNF complex and the nucleosome.

Activation and repression of transcription at the double tandem divergent promoters for the xylR and xylS genes of the TOL plasmid of Pseudomonas putida

The xylR and xylS genes are divergent and control transcription of the TOL plasmid catabolic pathways for toluene metabolism. Four promoters are found in the 300-bp intergenic region: Pr1 and Pr2 are constitutive sigma70-dependent tandem promoters that drive expression of xylR, while expression of the xylS gene is driven from Ps2, a constitutive sigma70-dependent promoter, and by the regulatable sigma54 class Ps1 promoter. In Ps1 the XylR targets (upstream activator sequences [UASs]) overlap the Pr promoters, and two sites for integration host factor (IHF) binding are located at the region from positions -2 to -30 (-2/-30 region) and the -137/-156 region, the latter overlapping the Pr promoters. When the XylR protein binds to the UASs in the absence of effector, it represses expression from Pr promoters. In the XylR-plus background and in the absence of an effector, the level of expression from Ps1 is low, although detectable, whereas Ps2 is active. In this background and in the presence of an effector, XylR increases autorepression. In a sigma54-deficient Pseudomonas putida background, no expression occurred from Ps1 regardless of the presence of an effector. However, in the presence of an effector, the amount of RNA produced from Pr promoters was almost undetectable. This finding suggests that when no transcription occurred at the Ps1 promoter, clearance of XylR from the UASs was almost negligible. In this background, expression from Ps2 was very high regardless of the presence of an effector; this finding suggests that RNA polymerase containing sigma54 modulates expression from the downstream Ps2 sigma70-dependent promoter. In a P. putida IHF-minus background and in the presence of effector, Ps1 expression was the highest found; in contrast, the basal levels of this promoter were the lowest observed. This finding suggests that IHF acts in vivo as a repressor of the sigma54-dependent Ps1 promoter. In an IHF-deficient host background, expression from Ps2 in the presence of effector was negligible. Thus, binding of RNA polymerase containing sigma54 at the upstream promoter may modulate expression from the Ps2 promoter.

Aromatic ligand binding and intramolecular signalling of the phenol-responsive sigma54-dependent regulator DmpR

The Pseudomonas-derived sigma54-dependent regulator DmpR has an amino-terminal A-domain controlling the specificity of activation by aromatic effectors, a central C-domain mediating an ATPase activity essential for transcriptional activation and a carboxy-terminal D-domain involved in DNA binding. In the presence of aromatic effectors, the DmpR protein promotes transcription from the -24, -12 Po promoter controlling the expression of specialized (methyl)phenol catabolic enzymes. Previous analysis of DmpR has led to a model in which the A-domain acts as an interdomain repressor of DmpR's ATPase and transcriptional promoting property until specific aromatic effectors are bound. Here, the autonomous nature of the A-domain in exerting its biological functions has been dissected by expressing portions of DmpR as independent polypeptides. The A-domain of DmpR is shown to be both necessary and sufficient to bind phenol. Analysis of phenol binding suggests one binding site per monomer of DmpR, with a dissociation constant of 16 microM. The A-domain is also shown to have specific affinity for the C-domain and to repress the C-domain mediated ATPase activity in vitro autonomously. However, physical uncoupling of the A-domain from the remainder of the regulator results in a system that does not respond to aromatics by its normal derepression mechanism. The mechanistic implications of aromatic non-responsiveness of autonomously expressed A-domain, despite its demonstrated ability to bind phenol, are discussed.

Clues and consequences of DNA bending in transcription

This review attempts to substantiate the notion that nonlinear DNA structures allow prokaryotic cells to evolve complex signal integration devices that, to some extent, parallel the transduction cascades employed by higher organisms to control cell growth and differentiation. Regulatory cascades allow the possibility of inserting additional checks, either positive or negative, in every step of the process. In this context, the major consequence of DNA bending in transcription is that promoter geometry becomes a key regulatory element. By using DNA bending, bacteria afford multiple metabolic control levels simply through alteration of promoter architecture, so that positive signals favor an optimal constellation of protein-protein and protein-DNA contacts required for activation. Additional effects of regulated DNA bending in prokaryotic promoters include the amplification and translation of small physiological signals into major transcriptional responses and the control of promoter specificity for cognate regulators.

Transcriptional control of the Pseudomonas TOL plasmid catabolic operons is achieved through an interplay of host factors and plasmid-encoded regulators

The xyl genes of Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid that specify catabolism of toluene and xylenes are organized in four transcriptional units: the upper-operon xylUWCAMBN for conversion of toluene/xylenes into benzoate/alkylbenzoates; the meta-operon xylXYZLTEGFJQKIH, which encodes the enzymes for further conversion of these compounds into Krebs cycle intermediates; and xylS and xylR, which are involved in transcriptional control. The XylS and XylR proteins are members of the XylS/AraC and NtrC families, respectively, of transcriptional regulators. The xylS gene is constitutively expressed at a low level from the Ps2 promoter. The XylS protein is activated by interaction with alkylbenzoates, and this active form stimulates transcription from Pm by sigma70- or sigmaS-containing RNA polymerase (the meta loop). The xylR gene is also expressed constitutively. The XylR protein, which in the absence of effectors binds in a nonactive form to target DNA sequences, is activated by aromatic hydrocarbons and ATP; it subsequently undergoes multimerization and structural changes that result in stimulation of transcription from Pu of the upper operon. This latter process is assisted by the IHF protein and mediated by sigma54-containing RNA polymerase. Once activated, the XylR protein also stimulates transcription from the Ps1 promoter of xylS without interfering with expression from Ps2. This process is assisted by the HU protein and is mediated by sigma54-containing RNA polymerase. As a consequence of hyperexpression of the xylS gene, the XylS protein is hyperproduced and stimulates transcription from Pm even in the absence of effectors (the cascade loop). The two sigma54-dependent promoters are additionally subject to global (catabolite repression) control.

Role of upstream activation sequences and integration host factor in transcriptional activation by the constitutively active prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein PspF

PspF, the transcriptional activator of the pspA operon of Escherichia coli, which belongs to the enhancer binding protein (EBP) family of sigma54 activator proteins, is constitutively active in an in vitro transcription assay. PspF protein, together with RNA polymerase holoenzyme containing sigma54, is required for in vitro transcription from the pspA promoter. EBP proteins are typically subject to regulation either by post-translational modification or interaction of a specific ligand with an N-terminal regulatory domain. However, unlike other members of the EBP family, PspF lacks this domain. pspA is positively regulated by IHF in vitro, and this regulation is dependent on the topology of the DNA; a linear template is much more dependent on IHF than a supercoiled template. EBP binding to upstream activating sequences (UAS) in their target promoters is mediated by the C-terminal domain which contains a helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif. A mutant PspF protein lacking the C-terminal DNA-binding domain is active in vitro, although at much higher concentrations than the wild-type protein. In vitro transcription from pspA templates missing one or both of the UAS sites is reduced relative to wild-type templates, but is still appreciable; however, IHF acts as a negative regulator of pspA transcription on these mutant templates. Thus, PspF bound to non-specific sequences upstream of the pspA promoter can activate pspA transcription, but this activation is inhibited by IHF. These data, taken together, support the model that a precise promoter geometry is necessary for IHF to positively regulate transcription and that IHF may act to prevent activation from inappropriately spaced upstream sites.

Expression, inducer spectrum, domain structure, and function of MopR, the regulator of phenol degradation in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIB8250

Degradation of phenol by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIB8250 involves (sigma54-dependent expression of a multicomponent phenol hydroxylase and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase encoded by the mop operon. Complementation of a new mutant deficient in phenol utilization yielded the regulatory locus mopR. It is located in divergent orientation next to the mop operon. MopR is constitutively expressed at a low level from a sigma70-type promoter and belongs to the NtrC family of regulators. The amino acid sequence is similar to that of XylR regulating xylene degradation and to that of DmpR regulating dimethylphenol degradation in Pseudomonas spp. However, it shows a different effector profile for substituted phenols than DmpR. MopR activates phenol hydroxylase expression in the presence of phenol in Escherichia coli, indicating that it binds the effector. The phenol binding A domains of MopR and DmpR have fewer identical residues than the A domains of DmpR and XylR, despite the fact that XylR recognizes different effectors. This suggests that sequence conservation in the A domain does not reflect the potential to bind the respective effectors. Overexpression of the MopR A domain in the presence of wild-type MopR causes loss of mop inducibility by phenol, establishing its negative transdominance over MopR. Deletion of 110 residues from the N terminus did not affect transdominance of the truncated domain, whereas deletion of 150 residues abolished it completely. This result establishes the distinction of two subdomains, A(N) and A(C), which together constitute the A domain. The C-terminal portion of the A domain, A(C), shows considerable affinity for the C domain, even in the presence of the trigger phenol.

ATP binding to the sigma 54-dependent activator XylR triggers a protein multimerization cycle catalyzed by UAS DNA

The events that take place at the prokaryotic enhancer of the Pu promoter of Pseudomonas putida prior to the engagement of the sigma 54-RNA polymerase (sigma 54-RNAP) have been studied in vitro. ATP hydrolysis by XylR, the cognate regulator of the system, is preceded by the multimerization of XylR at the enhancer, which is itself triggered by the sole allosteric effect of ATP binding to the protein. Since ADP is unable to support multimerization, ATP hydrolysis might be followed by a return to the nonmultimerized state. This notion is supported further by the properties of mutant proteins that seem to be frozen, in either the nonmultimerized or the multimerized state, respectively. These results support a cyclic mechanism of ATP-dependent association/dissociation of XylR at the promoter UAS that precedes any involvement of the polymerase in transcription initiation.

Genetic evidence for interdomain regulation of the phenol-responsive final sigma54-dependent activator DmpR

The final sigma54-dependent DmpR activator regulates transcription of the dmp operon that encodes the enzymes for catabolism of (methyl)phenols. DmpR is expressed constitutively, but its transcriptional promoting activity is controlled positively in direct response to the presence of aromatic pathway substrates (effectors). DmpR has a distinct domain structure with the amino-terminal A-domain controlling the specificity of activation of the regulator by aromatic effectors (signal reception), a central C-domain mediating an ATPase activity essential for transcriptional activation, and a carboxyl-terminal D-domain involved in DNA binding. Deletion of the A-domain has been shown previously to result in an effector-independent transcriptional activator with constitutive ATPase activity. These results, in conjunction with the location of mutations within the A- and C-domains which exhibit an effector-independent (semiconstitutive) property, have led to a working model in which the A-domain serves to mask the ATPase and transcriptional promoting activity of the C-domain in the absence of effectors. To investigate the mechanism by which the A-domain exerts its repressive effect, we developed a genetic system to select positively for intramolecular second site revertants of DmpR. The results demonstrate (i) that mutations within the A-domain can suppress the semiconstitutive activity of C-domain located mutations and vice versa; (ii) that the C-domain located mutations do not influence the intrinsic ATPase and transcriptional promoting property of the C-domain in the absence of the A-domain; and (iii) that semiconstitutive mutations of the A- and C-domain have an additive effect. Taken together these results support a model in which the A-domain represses the function(s) of the C-domain by direct interactions between residues of the two domains.

Identification of the repressor subdomain within the signal reception module of the prokaryotic enhancer-binding protein XylR of Pseudomonas putida

In the presence of m-xylene, the protein XylR encoded by the TOL plasmid of Pseudomonas putida, activates the final sigma54-dependent promoter Pu. Early activation stages involve the release of the intramolecular repression caused by the signal reception N-terminal (A domain) of XylR on the central module of the protein. A genetic approach has been followed to locate the specific segment within A domain of XylR that is directly responsible for its down-regulation in the absence of inducer, as compared to that involved in effector (m-xylene) binding. For this, a reporter Escherichia coli strain carrying a monocopy transcriptional fusion of Pu to lacZ was transformed with a collection of plasmids encoding equivalent truncated varieties of XylR, consisting of nested and internal deletions throughout the entire A domain. Examination of the resulting phenotypes allowed the assignment of the A domain region near the central activation domain, as the portion of the protein responsible for the specific repression of XylR activity in the absence of m-xylene.