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

This Article Full Text 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 Ettema, T. J. G. Articles by van der Oost, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ettema, T. J. G. Articles by van der Oost, J. Agricola Articles by Ettema, T. J. G. Articles by van der Oost, J.

Molecular characterization of a conserved archaeal copper resistance (cop) gene cluster and its copper-responsive regulator in Sulfolobus solfataricus P2

Thijs J. G. Ettema

Arie B. Brinkman

Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Hesselink van Suchtelenweg 4, 6703 CT Wageningen, The Netherlands

Correspondence
Thijs J.G. Ettema
T.Ettema{at}cmbi.ru.nl

Using a comparative genomics approach, a copper resistance gene cluster has been identified in multiple archaeal genomes. The cop cluster is predicted to encode a metallochaperone (CopM), a P-type copper-exporting ATPase (CopA) and a novel, archaea-specific transcriptional regulator (CopT) which might control the expression of the cop genes. Sequence analysis revealed that CopT has an N-terminal DNA-binding helix–turn–helix domain and a C-terminal TRASH domain; TRASH is a novel domain which has recently been proposed to be uniquely involved in metal-binding in sensors, transporters and trafficking proteins in prokaryotes. The present study describes the molecular characterization of the cop gene cluster in the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. The polycistronic copMA transcript was found to accumulate in response to growth-inhibiting copper concentrations, whereas copT transcript abundance appeared to be constitutive. DNA-binding assays revealed that CopT binds to the copMA promoter at multiple sites, both upstream and downstream of the predicted TATA-BRE site. Copper was found to specifically modulate the affinity of DNA binding by CopT. This study describes a copper-responsive operon in archaea, a new family of archaeal DNA-binding proteins, and supports the idea that this domain plays a prominent role in the archaeal copper response. A model is proposed for copper-responsive transcriptional regulation of the copMA gene cluster.

Present address: Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, UMC St Radboud, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Present address: Department of Molecular Biology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, UMC St Radboud, Geert Grooteplein 30, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A.-C. M. Toes, M. H. Daleke, J. G. Kuenen, and G. Muyzer Expression of copA and cusA in Shewanella during copper stress Microbiology, September 1, 2008; 154(9): 2709 - 2718. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Auernik, Y. Maezato, P. H. Blum, and R. M. Kelly The Genome Sequence of the Metal-Mobilizing, Extremely Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Metallosphaera sedula Provides Insights into Bioleaching-Associated Metabolism Appl. Envir. Microbiol., February 1, 2008; 74(3): 682 - 692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]