title: Identification of a salt-induced primary transporter for glycine betaine in the methanogen Methanosarcina mazei Gö1.
abstract: The salt adaptation of the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina mazei Gö1 was studied at the physiological and molecular levels. The freshwater organism M. mazei Gö1 was able to adapt to salt concentrations up to 1 M, and the addition of the compatible solute glycine betaine to the growth medium facilitated adaptation to higher salt concentrations. Transport studies with cell suspensions revealed a salt-induced glycine betaine uptake activity in M. mazei Gö1, and inhibitor studies argue for a primary transport device. Analysis of the genome of M. mazei Gö1 identified a homolog of known primary glycine betaine transporters. This gene cluster was designated Ota (osmoprotectant transporter A). Its sequence and gene organization are very similar to those of the glycine betaine transporter OpuA of Bacillus subtilis. Northern blot analysis of otaC revealed a salt-dependent transcription of this gene. Ota is the first identified salt-induced transporter for compatible solutes in Archaea.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie der LMU München, 80638 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roessler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pflüger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lienard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001622:Betaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000032:analysis; D004347:Drug Interactions; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017020:Methanosarcina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012492:Salts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012492:Salts; C401955:glycine betaine transporter, Listeria monocytogenes; D001622:Betaine