PII signal transduction proteins: pivotal players in post-translational control of nitrogenase activity.
The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by the prokaryotic enzyme nitrogenase is an energy- expensive process and consequently it is tightly regulated at a variety of levels. In many diazotrophs this includes post-translational regulation of the enzyme's activity, which has been reported in both bacteria and archaea. The best understood response is the short-term inactivation of nitrogenase in response to a transient rise in ammonium levels in the environment. A number of proteobacteria species effect this regulation through reversible ADP-ribosylation of the enzyme, but other prokaryotes have evolved different mechanisms. Here we review current knowledge of post-translational control of nitrogenase and show that, for the response to ammonium, the P(II) signal transduction proteins act as key players.
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Luciano F
LF
Huergo
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Fábio O
FO
Pedrosa
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Marcelo
M
Muller-Santos
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Leda S
LS
Chubatsu
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Rose A
RA
Monteiro
Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, UK.
Mike
M
Merrick
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Fixação Biológica de Nitrogênio, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, UFPR Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Emanuel M
EM
Souza
D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009591:Nitrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D015398:Signal Transduction
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins; D009591:Nitrogenase