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Abstract (Expand)

The Bacillus subtilis catabolite control protein A (CcpA) is a global transcriptional regulator which is controlled by interactions with the phosphoproteins HPrSer46P and CrhP and with low molecular weight effectors depending on the availability of preferred carbon sources like glucose. Distinct point mutations in CcpA abolish regulation of some but not all target genes suggesting additional interactions of CcpA. Therefore, in vivo crosslinking and mass spectrometry were applied to identify CcpA complexes active in repression and activation. To compensate for the excess of promoters only repressed by CcpA, this experiment was accomplished with cells with multiple copies of the activated ackA promoter. Among the identified proteins HPr, RNA polymerase (RNAP) subunits and the global regulator CodY were observed. Bacterial two-hybrid assays combining each RNAP subunit with CcpA localized CcpA binding at the α-subunit (RpoA). In vivo crosslinking combined with immunoblot analyses revealed CcpA-RpoA complexes in cultures with or without glucose whereas CcpA-HPr and CcpA-CodY complexes occurred only or predominantly in cultures with glucose. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analyses confirmed binding of CcpA to the N- (αNTD) and C-terminal domains (αCTD) of RpoA as well as to CodY. Furthermore, interactions of CodY with the αNTD and the αCTD were detected by SPR. The K(D) values of complexes of CcpA or CodY with the αNTD or the αCTD are between 5 and 8μM. CcpA and CodY form a loose complex with a K(D) of 60μM. These data were combined to propose a model for a transcription initiation complex at the ackA promoter.

Authors: Andrea Wünsche, Elke Hammer, , , Andreas Burkovski, ,

Date Published: 20th Apr 2012

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

In Gram-positive bacteria, carbon catabolite protein A (CcpA) is the master regulator of carbon catabolite control, which ensures optimal energy usage under diverse conditions. Unlike other LacI-GalR proteins, CcpA is activated for DNA binding by first forming a complex with the phosphoprotein HPr-Ser46-P. Bacillus subtilis CcpA functions as both a transcription repressor and activator and binds to more than 50 operators called catabolite response elements (cres). These sites are highly degenerate with the consensus, WTGNNARCGNWWWCAW. How CcpA-(HPr-Ser46-P) binds such diverse sequences is unclear. To gain insight into this question, we solved the structures of the CcpA-(HPr-Ser46-P) complex bound to three different operators, the synthetic (syn) cre, ackA2 cre and gntR-down cre. Strikingly, the structures show that the CcpA-bound operators display different bend angles, ranging from 31° to 56°. These differences are accommodated by a flexible linkage between the CcpA helix-turn-helix-loop-helix motif and hinge helices, which allows independent docking of these DNA-binding modules. This flexibility coupled with an abundance of non-polar residues capable of non-specific nucleobase interactions permits CcpA-(HPr-Ser46-P) to bind diverse operators. Indeed, biochemical data show that CcpA-(HPr-Ser46-P) binds the three cre sites with similar affinities. Thus, the data reveal properties that license this protein to function as a global transcription regulator.

Authors: Maria A Schumacher, Mareen Sprehe, , , Richard G Brennan

Date Published: 26th Nov 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

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