title: Transcription of the pst operon of Clostridium acetobutylicum is dependent on phosphate concentration and pH.
abstract: The pst operon of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 comprises five genes, pstS, pstC, pstA, pstB, and phoU, and shows a gene architecture identical to that of Escherichia coli. Deduced proteins are predicted to represent a high-affinity phosphate-specific ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transport system (Pst) and a protein homologous to PhoU, a negative phosphate regulon regulator. We analyzed the expression patterns of the pst operon in P(i)-limited chemostat cultures during acid production at pH 5.8 or solvent production at pH 4.5 and in response to P(i) pulses. Specific mRNA transcripts were found only when external P(i) concentrations had dropped below 0.2 mM. Two specific transcripts were detected, a 4.7-kb polycistronic mRNA spanning the whole operon and a quantitatively dominating 1.2-kb mRNA representing the first gene, pstS. The mRNA levels clearly differed depending on the external pH. The amounts of the full-length mRNA detected were about two times higher at pH 5.8 than at pH 4.5. The level of pstS mRNA increased by a factor of at least 8 at pH 5.8 compared to pH 4.5 results. Primer extension experiments revealed only one putative transcription start point 80 nucleotides upstream of pstS. Thus, additional regulatory sites are proposed in the promoter region, integrating two different extracellular signals, namely, depletion of inorganic phosphate and the pH of the environment. After phosphate pulses were applied to a phosphate-limited chemostat we observed faster phosphate consumption at pH 5.8 than at pH 4.5, although higher optical densities were recorded at pH 4.5.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf-Jörg
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oehmcke
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mix
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahl
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D046969:Clostridium acetobutylicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D010710:Phosphates; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D010710:Phosphates; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger