ZntR is an autoregulatory protein and negatively regulates the chromosomal zinc resistance operon znt of Staphylococcus aureus.
A chromosomally encoded znt operon of Staphylococcus aureus consists of two consecutive putative genes designated zntR and zntA. The zntA gene encodes a transmembrane protein that facilitates extrusion of Zn2+ and Co2+, whereas the zntR gene encodes a putative regulatory protein that controls the expression of the znt operon. The zntR gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction, cloned into Escherichia coli for overexpression as His-tagged ZntR and purified by Ni2+-affinity column. His-tag-free ZntR was purified to near homogeneity after digestion with enterokinase. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) indicated that the ZntR bound to a fragment of DNA corresponding to the chromosomal znt promoter region with an affinity of about 8.0 x 10-12 M. The addition of 25 microM Zn2+ or Co2+ in the binding reaction completely or significantly inhibited association of ZntR with the znt promoter. DNase I footprinting assays identified a ZntR binding site encompassing 49 nucleotides in the znt promoter region that contained repeated TGAA sequences. These sequences have been proposed to be the binding sites for SmtB, a metallorepressor protein from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus, to its corresponding operator/promoter. In vitro transcription assays, using S. aureus RNA polymerase, revealed that ZntR represses transcription from the znt promoter in a concentration-dependent fashion. The EMSAs, DNase I footprinting and in vitro transcription assays indicate that ZntR is a trans-acting repressor protein that binds to the znt promoter region and regulates its own transcription together with that of zntA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA.
V K
VK
Singh
A
A
Xiong
T R
TR
Usgaard
S
S
Chakrabarti
R
R
Deora
T K
TK
Misra
R K
RK
Jayaswal
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology; D018983:DNA Footprinting; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C492246:ZntR protein, E coli; C118628:ZntR protein, bacteria; D003035:Cobalt; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C109898:Zn(II)-translocating P-type ATPase; D015032:Zinc