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. 1997 Feb;179(4):1090–1095. doi: 10.1128/jb.179.4.1090-1095.1997

Characterization and regulation of the gene encoding nitrite reductase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3.

I E Tosques 1, A V Kwiatkowski 1, J Shi 1, J P Shapleigh 1
PMCID: PMC178802  PMID: 9023188

Abstract

Nitrite reductase catalyzes the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide, the first step in denitrification to produce a gaseous product. We have cloned the gene nirK, which encodes the copper-type nitrite reductase from a denitrifying variant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, strain 2.4.3. The deduced open reading frame has significant identity with other copper-type nitrite reductases. Analysis of the promoter region shows that transcription initiates 31 bases upstream of the translation start codon. The transcription initiation site is 43.5 bases downstream of a putative binding site for a transcriptional activator. Maximal expression of a nirK-lacZ construct in 2.4.3 requires both a low level of oxygen and the presence of a nitrogen oxide. nirK-lacZ expression was severely impaired in a nitrite reductase-deficient strain of 2.4.3. This suggests that nirK expression is dependent on nitrite reduction. The inability of microaerobically grown nitrite reductase-deficient cells to induce nirK-lacZ expression above basal levels in medium unamended with nitrate demonstrates that changes in oxygen concentrations are not sufficient to modulate nirK expression.

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Selected References

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