title: A differential effect of sigmaS on the expression of the PHO regulon genes of Escherichia coli.
abstract: The RNA polymerase core associated with sigma(S) transcribes many genes related to stress or to the stationary phase. When cells enter a phase of phosphate starvation, the transcription of several genes and operons, collectively known as the PHO regulon, is strongly induced. The promoters of the PHO genes hitherto analysed are recognized by sigma(D)-associated RNA polymerase. A mutation in the gene that encodes sigma(S), rpoS, significantly increases the level of alkaline phosphatase activity and the overproduction of sigma(S) inhibits it. Other PHO genes such as phoE and ugpB are likewise affected by sigma(S). In contrast, pstS, which encodes a periplasmic phosphate-binding protein and is a negative regulator of PHO, is stimulated by sigma(S). The effect of sigma(S) on the PHO genes is at the transcriptional level. It is shown that a cytosine residue at position -13 is important for the positive effect of sigma(S) on pst. The interpretation of these observations is based on the competition between sigma(S) and sigma(D) for the binding to the core RNA polymerase.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo-SP CEP:05508-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Natalia Pasternak
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Taschner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yagil
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo-SP CEP:05508-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Beny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spira
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D018272:Porins / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018085:Regulon; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D018272:Porins; C090133:PstS protein, E coli; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012808:Sigma Factor; C069567:sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria; C082922:PhoE protein, E coli; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase