title: A GntR-like negative regulator of the biphenyl degradation genes of the transposon Tn4371.
abstract: Tn4371, a 55-kb catabolic transposon originally isolated from Ralstonia eutropha A5, carries genes for the degradation of biphenyl/4-chlorobiphenyl, which are clustered on a 13-kb DNA segment located in the middle of the element. DNA sequencing revealed that two potential regulatory genes, bphR and bphS, border this region. Transcriptional fusion experiments using bphC as a reporter gene, Northern hybridization and primer extension analysis led to the conclusion that the transposon-encoded genes bphEFGA1A2A3BCD form an operon transcribed from a sigma70 promoter, pE. Transcription from pE was not influenced by deletion of the bphR gene of Tn4371, which should encode a LysR-like regulator. The bphS gene product negatively regulated pE, and displayed significant similarity to GntR-like regulators. This is the first reported example of a GntR-like regulator involved in the control of an aromatic degradation pathway.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mouz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merlin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Springael
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toussaint
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017931:DNA Primers; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009876:Operon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; C403182:BphR protein, Ralstonia eutropha; D017931:DNA Primers; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C081598:GntR protein, E coli; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C006983:4-chlorobiphenyl