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

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited 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 Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by de Saizieu, A. Articles by van Loon, A. P. G. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by de Saizieu, A. Articles by van Loon, A. P. G. M. Agricola Articles by de Saizieu, A. Articles by van Loon, A. P. G. M.

The trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP) regulates the steady-state levels of transcripts of the Bacillus subtilis folate operon

Biotechnology Section, Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland

ABSTRACT

The Bacillus subtilis folate operon contains nine genes. The first six genes are involved in the biosynthesis of folic acid and tryptophan and have been characterized previously. The 3-region of the folate operon contains three additional ORFs: orf3, potentially encoding a DNA-binding protein of 68 amino acids, orf4, encoding a protein of 338 amino acids with homology to the Orf1 of the E. coli fis operon, and a putative lysyl-tRNA synthetase gene (lysS). Four transcripts were identified which encode the first two, eight or all nine proteins or only the last protein LysS. The folate operon contains two promoters, one upstream of the first gene and the second preceding lysS. Transcription of the entire folate operon starts 33 bp upstream of the ATG codon of pab, the first gene of the operon. The mtrB-encoded trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP) dramatically reduces the steady-state levels of the folate operon transcripts encoding the first eight and all nine proteins, but only has a relatively small effect on the steady-state level of the 2.1 kb transcript encoding the first two genes of the operon, pab and trpG. In addition, transcription of the folate operon is regulated in a growth-phase-dependent manner. Transcripts were present in very low levels after mid-exponential phase, but were dramatically increased directly after transfer of the cells to fresh medium. These results indicate that transcription of the folate operon is regulated by TRAP and also depends on the growth phase of the culture.

^*Author for correspondence: Adolphus P. G. M. van Loon. Tel: + 41 61 688 7027. Fax: + 41 61 688 1645.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Gutierrez-Preciado, T. M. Henkin, F. J. Grundy, C. Yanofsky, and E. Merino Biochemical Features and Functional Implications of the RNA-Based T-Box Regulatory Mechanism Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., March 1, 2009; 73(1): 36 - 61. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Yakhnin, A. V. Yakhnin, and P. Babitzke Translation Control of trpG from Transcripts Originating from the Folate Operon Promoter of Bacillus subtilis Is Influenced by Translation-Mediated Displacement of Bound TRAP, While Translation Control of Transcripts Originating from a Newly Identified trpG Promoter Is Not J. Bacteriol., February 1, 2007; 189(3): 872 - 879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Zhu, Z. Pan, N. Domagalski, R. Koepsel, M. M. Ataai, and M. M. Domach Engineering of Bacillus subtilis for Enhanced Total Synthesis of Folic Acid Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2005; 71(11): 7122 - 7129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Xie, N. O. Keyhani, C. A. Bonner, and R. A. Jensen Ancient Origin of the Tryptophan Operon and the Dynamics of Evolutionary Change Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., September 1, 2003; 67(3): 303 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Babitzke and P. Gollnick Posttranscription Initiation Control of Tryptophan Metabolism in Bacillus subtilis by the trp RNA-Binding Attenuation Protein (TRAP), anti-TRAP, and RNA Structure J. Bacteriol., October 15, 2001; 183(20): 5795 - 5802. [Full Text] [PDF]