title: Transcriptional regulation of the sulfate-starvation-induced gene sfnA by a sigma54-dependent activator of Pseudomonas putida.
abstract: The sigma(54)-dependent transcriptional regulator SfnR is essential for the use of dimethyl sulfone (DMSO(2)) as a sulfur source by Pseudomonas putida DS1. SfnR binds three SfnR-binding sites (sites 1, 2 and 3) within an intergenic region of the divergently transcribed sfnAB and sfnFG gene clusters. The site 1 region, proximal to the sfnF gene, is indispensable for the expression of the sfnFG operon, which encodes components of DMSO(2) monooxygenase. We investigated the transcriptional regulation of the sfnAB operon and possible functions of the sfnA gene. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the sfnAB gene cluster, which is similar to homologues of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family, was transcribed as an operon, and its expression was regulated by SfnR under conditions of sulfate starvation. Deletion analyses using lacZ as a reporter demonstrated that the region up to at least -138 bp from the transcription start point of sfnA (containing sites 2 and 3) was necessary for the expression of the sfnAB operon. A growth test of the sfnA-disrupted mutant revealed the possibility that sfnA may be involved in the use of methanethiol as a sulfur source.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Innovations in Sustainable Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 5-2, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Habe
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouzuma
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Chemistry, Shibaura Institute of Technology, 3-7-5 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8548, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Omori
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisakazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nojiri
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009876:Operon; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013431:Sulfates; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D015534:Trans-Activators; C005231:methylmercaptan; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54; C004784:dimethyl sulfide