Transcriptional regulation of membrane lipid homeostasis in Escherichia coli.
The biophysical properties of membrane phospholipids are controlled by the composition of their constituent fatty acids and are tightly regulated in Escherichia coli. The FabR (fatty acid biosynthesis repressor) transcriptional repressor controls the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the membrane by regulating the expression of the fabB (beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase I) and fabA (beta-hydroxydecanoyl-ACP dehydratase/isomerase) genes. FabR binding to a DNA palindrome located within the promoters of the fabB and fabA genes required the presence of an unsaturated acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) or acyl-CoA and was antagonized by saturated acyl-ACP or acyl-CoA. The FabR-dependent repression of fabB and fabA by exogenous unsaturated fatty acids confirmed the role for FabR in responding to the acyl-CoA pool composition, and the perturbation of the unsaturated:saturated acyl-ACP ratio using a specific inhibitor of lipid A formation verified FabR-dependent regulation of fabB by the acyl-ACP composition in vivo. Thus, FabR plays a key role in controlling the membrane biophysical properties by regulating gene expression in response to the composition of the long-chain acyl-thioester pool. This mechanism ensures that a balanced composition of fatty acids is available for incorporation into the membrane via the PlsB/PlsC acyltransferases.
Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
Kun
K
Zhu
Yong-Mei
YM
Zhang
Charles O
CO
Rock
D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054889:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type II; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006706:Homeostasis; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C458522:FabR protein, E coli; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase; C490369:FabB protein, E coli; D006836:Hydro-Lyases; C047118:3-hydroxyacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) dehydratase; D054889:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type II