title: Transcription of ppk from Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1, encoding a putative polyphosphate kinase, is induced by phosphate starvation.
abstract: Polyphosphate kinase (Ppk) catalyzes the formation of polyphosphate from ATP. We cloned the ppk gene (2,073 bp) from Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1; this gene encodes a putative polypeptide of 78.6 kDa with extensive homology to polyphosphate kinase from Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Chromosomal disruption of ppk by inserting a transcriptionally fused lacZ does not affect growth under conditions of phosphate limitation or excess. beta-Galactosidase activity expressed from the single-copy ppk::lacZ fusion is induced 5- to 15-fold by phosphate starvation. An increased amount of ppk transcript (2.2 kb) was detected when cells were grown at a limiting phosphate concentration. Primer extension analysis revealed a regulated promoter located upstream of a second, constitutive promoter. Potential similarities of this regulation with the effects of PhoB and PhoR of E. coli are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geissdörfer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hillen
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor); C022424:polyphosphate kinase