title: Regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a comparison with mechanisms in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Streptomyces coelicolor.
abstract: The mechanisms governing the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Streptomyces coelicolor have been extensively studied. These Actinomycetales are closely related to the Mycobacterium genus and may therefore serve as a models to elucidate the cascade of nitrogen signalling in other mycobacteria. Some factors involved in nitrogen metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been described, including glutamine synthetase and its adenylyltransferase, but not much data concerning the other components involved in the signalling cascade is available. In this review a comparative study of factors involved in nitrogen metabolism in C. glutamicum and S. coelicolor is made to identify similarities with M. tuberculosis on both a genomic and proteomic level. This may provide insight into a potential global mechanism of nitrogen control in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape 7505, South Africa. carrie@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: Catriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiid
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Helden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D048230:Corynebacterium glutamicum / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D048372:Streptomyces coelicolor / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase; D009584:Nitrogen