title: A gene encoding a potential adenosine 5'-phosphosulphate kinase is necessary for timely development of Myxococcus xanthus.
abstract: A Myxococcus xanthus gene, MXAN3487, was identified by transposon mutagenesis to be required for the expression of mcuABC, an operon coding for part of the chaperone-usher (CU) system in this bacterium. The MXAN3487 protein displays sequence and structural homology to adenosine 5'-phosphosulphate (APS) kinase family members and contains putative motifs for ATP and APS binding. Although the MXAN3487 locus is not linked to other sulphate assimilation genes, its protein product may have APS kinase activity in vivo and the importance of the ATP-binding site for activity was demonstrated. Expression of MXAN3487 was not affected by sulphate availability, suggesting that MXAN3487 may not function in a reductive sulphate assimilation pathway. Deletion of MXAN3487 significantly delayed fruiting body formation and the production of McuA, a spore coat protein secreted by the M. xanthus Mcu CU system. Based on these observations and data from our previous studies, we propose that MXAN3487 may phosphorylate molecules structurally related to APS, generating metabolites necessary for M. xanthus development, and that MXAN3487 exerts a positive effect on the mcuABC operon whose expression is morphogenesis dependent.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.
authors: Daoyong
authors: D
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.
authors: Shihui
authors: S
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Song
authors: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala Biomedical Centre, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Knight
authors: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.
authors: Xiaohua
authors: X
authors: Mao
mesh_terms: D000250:Adenosine Phosphosulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D016941:Myxococcus xanthus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D000250:Adenosine Phosphosulfate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C019617:adenylylsulfate kinase