Post-transcriptional regulation of the Bacillus subtilis pst operon encoding a phosphate-specific ABC transporter.
During phosphate starvation, Bacillus subtilis regulates genes in the PhoP regulon to reduce the cell's requirement for this essential substrate and to facilitate the recovery of inorganic phosphate from organic sources such as teichoic and nucleic acids. Among the proteins that are highly induced under these conditions is PstS, the phosphate-binding lipoprotein component of a high-affinity ABC-type phosphate transporter. PstS is encoded by the first gene in the pst operon, the other four members of which encode the integral membrane and cytoplasmic components of the transporter. The transcription of the pst operon was analysed using a combination of methods, including transcriptional reporter gene technology, Northern blotting and DNA arrays. It is shown that the primary transcript of the pst operon is processed differentially to maintain higher concentrations of PstS relative to other components of the transporter. The comparative studies have revealed limitations in the use of reporter gene technology for analysing the transcription of operons in which the messenger RNA transcript is differentially processed.
School of Biology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Nicholas E E
NEE
Allenby
School of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Nicola
N
O'Connor
School of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Zoltán
Z
Prágai
School of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Noel M
NM
Carter
Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, E.-M.-Arndt-Universität, Greifswald, F.-L.-Jahnstraße 15, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany.
Marcus
M
Miethke
Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, E.-M.-Arndt-Universität, Greifswald, F.-L.-Jahnstraße 15, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany.
Susanne
S
Engelmann
Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, E.-M.-Arndt-Universität, Greifswald, F.-L.-Jahnstraße 15, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany.
Michael
M
Hecker
School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Anil
A
Wipat
School of Biology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Alan C
AC
Ward
School of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Colin R
CR
Harwood
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009876:Operon; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D010710:Phosphates; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger