title: A proposed link between nitrogen and carbon metabolism involving protein phosphorylation in bacteria.
abstract: We demonstrate that certain phosphoryl transfer proteins of the bacterial phosphotransferase system (PTS), the fructose- and mannitol-specific IIA proteins or domains, are homologous to a class of proteins, one of which is known to affect transcription of some of the nitrogen-regulatory sigma 54-dependent operons in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The phosphorylatable histidyl residue in the homologous PTS proteins and the consensus sequence in the vicinity of the active-site histidine are fully conserved in all members that comprise this family of proteins. A phylogenetic tree of the eight protein members of this family was constructed, and a "signature" sequence that can serve for the identification of new protein members of this family is proposed. These observations suggest that PTS-catalyzed protein phosphorylation may provide a regulatory link between carbon and nitrogen assimilation in bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reizer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reizer
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Saier
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D009876:Operon; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012808:Sigma Factor; D005632:Fructose; D008353:Mannitol; D002244:Carbon; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System; D009584:Nitrogen