title: LdrP, a cAMP receptor protein/FNR family transcriptional regulator, serves as a positive regulator for the light-inducible gene cluster in the megaplasmid of Thermus thermophilus.
abstract: LdrP (TT_P0055) (LitR-dependent regulatory protein) is one of the four cAMP receptor protein (CRP)/FNR family transcriptional regulators retained by the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus. Previously, we reported that LdrP served as a positive regulator for the light-induced transcription of crtB, a carotenoid biosynthesis gene encoded on the megaplasmid of this organism. Here, we showed that LdrP also functions as an activator of the expression of genes clustered around the crtB gene under the control of LitR, an adenosyl B12-bound light-sensitive regulator. Transcriptome analysis revealed the existence of 19 LitR-dependent genes on the megaplasmid. S1 nuclease protection assay confirmed that the promoters preceding TT_P0044 (P44), TT_P0049 (P49) and TT_P0070 (P70) were activated upon illumination in the WT strain. An ldrP mutant lost the ability to activate P44, P49 and P70, whilst disruption of litR resulted in constitutive transcription from these promoters irrespective of illumination, indicating that these genes were photo-dependently regulated by LdrP and LitR. An in vitro transcription experiment demonstrated that LdrP directly activated mRNA synthesis from P44 and P70 by the Thermus RNA polymerase holocomplex. The present evidence indicated that LdrP was the positive regulator essential for the transcription of the T. thermophilus light-inducible cluster encoded on the megaplasmid.
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agari
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beppu
authors.affiliation: RIKEN Structural Biology Laboratory, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.|RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
authors.forename: Akeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D008027:Light; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016963:Thermus thermophilus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors