title: Global regulation of photosynthesis and respiration by FnrL: the first two targets in the tetrapyrrole pathway.
abstract: Fnr is a regulator that controls the expression of a variety of genes in response to oxygen limitation in bacteria. To assess the role of Fnr in photosynthesis in Rubrivivax gelatinosus, a strain carrying a null mutation in fnrL was constructed. It was unable to grow anaerobically in the light, but, intriguingly, it was able to produce photosynthetic complexes under high oxygenation conditions. The mutant lacked all c-type cytochromes normally detectable in microaerobically-grown wild type cells and accumulated coproporphyrin III. These data suggested that the pleiotropic phenotype observed in FNR is primarily due to the control at the level of the HemN oxygen-independent coproporphyrinogen III dehydrogenase. hemN expression in trans partially suppressed the FNR phenotype, as it rescued heme and cytochrome syntheses. Nevertheless, these cells were photosynthetically deficient, and pigment analyses showed that they were blocked at the level of Mg(2+)-protoporphyrin monomethyl ester. Expression of both hemN and bchE in the FNR mutant restored synthesis of Mg(2+)-protochlorophyllide. We, therefore, conclude that FnrL controls respiration by regulating hemN expression and controls photosynthesis by regulating both hemN and bchE expression. A comprehensive picture of the control points of microaerobic respiration and photosynthesis by FnrL is provided, and the prominent role of this factor in activating alternative gene programs after reduction of oxygen tension in facultative aerobes is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire CNRS (UPR-2167) Associéà l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie et Paris XI, Bâtiment 26, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France. souchane@cgm.cnrs-gif.fr
authors.forename: Soufian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ouchane
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picaud
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Therizols
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reiss-Husson
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Astier
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010788:Photosynthesis; D045725:Tetrapyrroles / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C096744:FnrL protein, Rhodobacter sphaeroides; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D045725:Tetrapyrroles; D015534:Trans-Activators; D002734:Chlorophyll; C414443:cbb3 oxidase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV