title: Function and regulation of glnA in the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
abstract: The glnA gene in the domains Bacteria and Archaea encodes glutamine synthetase, a universally distributed enzyme that functions in ammonia assimilation and glutamine synthesis. We investigated the regulation and function of glnA in the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene demonstrated its membership in class GSI-alpha of glutamine synthetases. The gene appeared to be expressed as a monocistronic operon. glnA mRNA levels and specific activities of glutamine synthetase were regulated similarly by nitrogen. Three transcription start sites were identified, corresponding to two overlapping nitrogen-regulated promoters and one weaker constitutive promoter. An inverted repeat immediately upstream of the regulated transcription start sites mediated repression under noninducing conditions. Thus, mutations that altered the sequence of the inverted repeat resulted in derepression. The inverted repeat had sequence similarity with a repeat that we previously identified as the nif operator of M. maripaludis, suggesting a common mechanism of nitrogen regulation. Efforts to produce a glnA null mutant failed, suggesting that glnA is an essential gene in M. maripaludis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen-Kupiec
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Leigh
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D019848:Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017017:Methanococcus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; C081173:glutamine synthetase I; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase