title: Modulation of activity of Bacillus subtilis regulatory proteins GltC and TnrA by glutamate dehydrogenase.
abstract: The Bacillus subtilis gltAB operon, encoding glutamate synthase, requires a specific positive regulator, GltC, for its expression and is repressed by the global regulatory protein TnrA. The factor that controls TnrA activity, a complex of glutamine synthetase and a feedback inhibitor, such as glutamine, is known, but the signal for modulation of GltC activity has remained elusive. GltC-dependent gltAB expression was drastically reduced when cells were grown in media containing arginine or ornithine or proline, all of which are inducers and substrates of the Roc catabolic pathway. Analysis of gltAB expression in mutants with various defects in the Roc pathway indicated that rocG-encoded glutamate dehydrogenase was required for such repression, suggesting that the substrates or products of this enzyme are the real effectors of GltC. Given that RocG is an enzyme of glutamate catabolism, the main regulatory role of GltC may be prevention of a futile cycle of glutamate synthesis and degradation in the presence of arginine-related amino acids or proline. In addition, high activity of glutamate dehydrogenase was incompatible with activity of TnrA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. bbelit02@granite.tufts.edu
authors.forename: Boris R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Belitsky
authors.forename: Abraham L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sonenshein
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D001665:Binding Sites; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009952:Ornithine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C095882:GltC protein, Bacillus subtilis; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C101458:ScgR protein, Bacillus subtilis; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D001120:Arginine; D011392:Proline; D019802:Succinic Acid; D009952:Ornithine; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase