HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 279, Issue 12, 11582-11592, March 19, 2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 279/12/11582    most recent M311518200v1 Submit a Letter to Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Picossi, S. Articles by Herrero, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Picossi, S. Articles by Herrero, A. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Nitrogen-regulated Genes for the Metabolism of Cyanophycin, a Bacterial Nitrogen Reserve Polymer

EXPRESSION AND MUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF TWO CYANOPHYCIN SYNTHETASE AND CYANOPHYCINASE GENE CLUSTERS IN THE HETEROCYST-FORMING CYANOBACTERIUM ANABAENA SP. PCC 7120^*

Silvia Picossi, Ana Valladares, Enrique Flores, and Antonia Herrero

From the Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Sevilla, E-41092 Seville, Spain

Two gene clusters each encoding the cyanophycin-metabolism enzymes cyanophycin synthetase and cyanophycinase are found in the heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. In cluster cph1, the genes cphB1 and cphA1 were expressed in media containing ammonium, nitrate, or N₂ as nitrogen sources, but expression was higher in the absence of combined nitrogen taking place both in vegetative cells and heterocysts. Both genes were cotranscribed from three putative promoters located upstream of cphB1, and, additionally, the cphA1 gene was expressed monocistronically from at least two promoters located in the intergenic cphB1-cphA1 region. Both constitutive promoters and promoters dependent on the global nitrogen control transcriptional regulator NtcA were identified. In cluster cph2, the cphB2 and cphA2 genes, which are found in opposite orientations, were expressed as monocistronic messages in media containing ammonium, nitrate, or N₂, but expression was higher in the absence of ammonium. Expression of the cph2 genes was lower than that of cph1 genes. Analysis of cph gene insertional mutants indicated that cluster cph1 genes contributed more than cluster cph2 genes to cyanophycin accumulation in the whole filament as well as in heterocysts. Diazotrophic growth was more severely impaired in cyanophycinase than in cyanophycin synthetase mutants, indicating that cyanophycin, although normally synthesized in the heterocysts, is not required for heterocyst function and that the inability to degrade this polymer is detrimental for the diazotrophic growth of the cyanobacterium.

Received for publication, October 21, 2003 , and in revised form, November 26, 2003.

^* This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain, Grant BMC2001-0509. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

To whom correspondence should be addressed: Antonia Herrero, Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, c/Américo Vespucio s/n, E-41092 Seville, Spain. Tel.: 34-95-4489522; Fax: 34-95-4460065; E-mail: herrero{at}cica.es.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Paz-Yepes, E. Flores, and A. Herrero Expression and Mutational Analysis of the glnB Genomic Region in the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 J. Bacteriol., April 1, 2009; 191(7): 2353 - 2361. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Maheswaran, K. Ziegler, W. Lockau, M. Hagemann, and K. Forchhammer PII-Regulated Arginine Synthesis Controls Accumulation of Cyanophycin in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803. J. Bacteriol., April 1, 2006; 188(7): 2730 - 2734. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. H. Kolodny, D. Bauer, K. Bryce, K. Klucevsek, A. Lane, L. Medeiros, W. Mercer, S. Moin, D. Park, J. Petersen, et al. Effect of Nitrogen Source on Cyanophycin Synthesis in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6308 J. Bacteriol., February 1, 2006; 188(3): 934 - 940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Elbahloul and A. Steinbuchel Engineering the Genotype of Acinetobacter sp. Strain ADP1 To Enhance Biosynthesis of Cyanophycin Appl. Envir. Microbiol., February 1, 2006; 72(2): 1410 - 1419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Elbahloul, K. Frey, J. Sanders, and A. Steinbuchel Protamylasse, a Residual Compound of Industrial Starch Production, Provides a Suitable Medium for Large-Scale Cyanophycin Production Appl. Envir. Microbiol., December 1, 2005; 71(12): 7759 - 7767. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Elbahloul, M. Krehenbrink, R. Reichelt, and A. Steinbuchel Physiological Conditions Conducive to High Cyanophycin Content in Biomass of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Strain ADP1 Appl. Envir. Microbiol., February 1, 2005; 71(2): 858 - 866. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]