title: A response regulator-like protein that functions at an intermediate stage of sporulation in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).
abstract: whiI is one of several loci originally described as essential for sporulation in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). We have characterized whiI at the molecular level. It encodes an atypical member of the response regulator family of proteins, lacking at least two of the residues strongly conserved in the conventional phosphorylation pocket. It is not adjacent to a potential sensor kinase gene. Fifteen mutant alleles of whiI were sequenced, revealing, among others, six mutations affecting conserved amino acids, several frameshift mutations and one mutation in the promoter. The whiI promoter is specifically transcribed by the sporulation-specific sigmaWhiG-containing form of RNA polymerase. Transcription of whiI is temporally controlled, reaching a maximum level coincident with the formation of spores. Further transcriptional studies suggested that WhiI is involved directly or indirectly in repressing its own expression and that of another sigmaWhiG-dependent sporulation-specific regulatory gene, whiH.
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aínsa
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Chater
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C115233:whiH protein, Streptomyces; C402602:whiL protein, Streptomyces coelicolor