title: Catabolite repression in Bacillus subtilis: a global regulatory mechanism for the gram-positive bacteria?
abstract: Three components involved in catabolite repression (CR) of gene expression in Bacillus have been identified. The cis-acting catabolite responsive element (CRE), which is present in many genes encoding carbon catabolic enzymes in various species of the Gram-positive bacteria, mediates CR of several genes in Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, and Staphylococcus xylosus. CR of most genes regulated via CRE is also affected by the trans-acting factors CcpA and HPr. Similarities between CcpA and Lac and Gal repressors suggest binding of CcpA to CRE. HPr, a component of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system, undergoes regulatory phosphorylation at a serine residue by a fructose-1,6-diphosphate-activated kinase. A mutant of HPr, which is not phosphorylatable at this position because of an exchange of serine to alanine, lacks CR of several catabolic activities. This mutant phenotype is similar to the one exhibited by a ccpA mutant. Direct protein-protein interaction between CcpA and HPr(Ser-P) was recently demonstrated and constitutes a link between metabolic activity and CR.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hueck
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hillen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000681:Amylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C069286:catabolite control proteins, bacteria; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System; C030182:phosphocarrier protein HPr; D000681:Amylases