Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1989 Mar;171(3):1278–1283. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.3.1278-1283.1989

The algR gene, which regulates mucoidy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, belongs to a class of environmentally responsive genes.

V Deretic 1, R Dikshit 1, W M Konyecsni 1, A M Chakrabarty 1, T K Misra 1
PMCID: PMC209741  PMID: 2493441

Abstract

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa capsule, composed of polysaccharide alginate, is an important Pseudomonas virulence factor encountered primarily in cystic fibrosis. The regulatory algR gene positively controls transcription of a key alginate biosynthetic gene, algD. The algR gene was subcloned and sequenced by creating a set of nested deletions in M13 bacteriophage. DNA sequence analysis of algR revealed the homology of its gene product with a recently recognized class of environmentally responsive bacterial regulatory genes, including ompR, phoB, sfrA, ntrC, spoOA, dctD, and virG; these transcriptional activators control cellular reactions to osmotic pressure, phosphate limitations, or specific chemical compounds present in the medium or released from wounded host tissue. These findings indicate that novel conditions in lungs affected by cystic fibrosis may be participating in the control of mucoidy.

Full text

PDF
1278

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amemura M., Makino K., Shinagawa H., Nakata A. Nucleotide sequence of the phoM region of Escherichia coli: four open reading frames may constitute an operon. J Bacteriol. 1986 Oct;168(1):294–302. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.1.294-302.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brill J. A., Quinlan-Walshe C., Gottesman S. Fine-structure mapping and identification of two regulators of capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1988 Jun;170(6):2599–2611. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.6.2599-2611.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buikema W. J., Szeto W. W., Lemley P. V., Orme-Johnson W. H., Ausubel F. M. Nitrogen fixation specific regulatory genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Rhizobium meliloti share homology with the general nitrogen regulatory gene ntrC of K. pneumoniae. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Jun 25;13(12):4539–4555. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.12.4539. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Comeau D. E., Ikenaka K., Tsung K. L., Inouye M. Primary characterization of the protein products of the Escherichia coli ompB locus: structure and regulation of synthesis of the OmpR and EnvZ proteins. J Bacteriol. 1985 Nov;164(2):578–584. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.2.578-584.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dale R. M., McClure B. A., Houchins J. P. A rapid single-stranded cloning strategy for producing a sequential series of overlapping clones for use in DNA sequencing: application to sequencing the corn mitochondrial 18 S rDNA. Plasmid. 1985 Jan;13(1):31–40. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(85)90053-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Darzins A., Chakrabarty A. M. Cloning of genes controlling alginate biosynthesis from a mucoid cystic fibrosis isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jul;159(1):9–18. doi: 10.1128/jb.159.1.9-18.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Deretic V., Chandrasekharappa S., Gill J. F., Chatterjee D. K., Chakrabarty A. M. A set of cassettes and improved vectors for genetic and biochemical characterization of Pseudomonas genes. Gene. 1987;57(1):61–72. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(87)90177-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Deretic V., Gill J. F., Chakrabarty A. M. Gene algD coding for GDPmannose dehydrogenase is transcriptionally activated in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jan;169(1):351–358. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.1.351-358.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Deretic V., Gill J. F., Chakrabarty A. M. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis: nucleotide sequence and transcriptional regulation of the algD gene. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Jun 11;15(11):4567–4581. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.11.4567. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Deretic V., Tomasek P., Darzins A., Chakrabarty A. M. Gene amplification induces mucoid phenotype in rec-2 Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposed to kanamycin. J Bacteriol. 1986 Feb;165(2):510–516. doi: 10.1128/jb.165.2.510-516.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Drury L. S., Buxton R. S. DNA sequence analysis of the dye gene of Escherichia coli reveals amino acid homology between the dye and OmpR proteins. J Biol Chem. 1985 Apr 10;260(7):4236–4242. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Figurski D. H., Helinski D. R. Replication of an origin-containing derivative of plasmid RK2 dependent on a plasmid function provided in trans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Apr;76(4):1648–1652. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.4.1648. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Flynn J. L., Ohman D. E. Cloning of genes from mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa which control spontaneous conversion to the alginate production phenotype. J Bacteriol. 1988 Apr;170(4):1452–1460. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.4.1452-1460.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Flynn J. L., Ohman D. E. Use of a gene replacement cosmid vector for cloning alginate conversion genes from mucoid and nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains: algS controls expression of algT. J Bacteriol. 1988 Jul;170(7):3228–3236. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.7.3228-3236.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fyfe J. A., Govan J. R. Alginate synthesis in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a chromosomal locus involved in control. J Gen Microbiol. 1980 Aug;119(2):443–450. doi: 10.1099/00221287-119-2-443. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. George R. H. Pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis. Arch Dis Child. 1987 May;62(5):438–439. doi: 10.1136/adc.62.5.438. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gill J. F., Deretic V., Chakrabarty A. M. Overproduction and assay of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phosphomannose isomerase. J Bacteriol. 1986 Aug;167(2):611–615. doi: 10.1128/jb.167.2.611-615.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Goldberg J. B., Ohman D. E. Cloning and expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa of a gene involved in the production of alginate. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jun;158(3):1115–1121. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.3.1115-1121.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Gottesman S., Trisler P., Torres-Cabassa A. Regulation of capsular polysaccharide synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12: characterization of three regulatory genes. J Bacteriol. 1985 Jun;162(3):1111–1119. doi: 10.1128/jb.162.3.1111-1119.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Gussin G. N., Ronson C. W., Ausubel F. M. Regulation of nitrogen fixation genes. Annu Rev Genet. 1986;20:567–591. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.20.120186.003031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hall M. N., Silhavy T. J. Genetic analysis of the ompB locus in Escherichia coli K-12. J Mol Biol. 1981 Sep 5;151(1):1–15. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(81)90218-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hirschman J., Wong P. K., Sei K., Keener J., Kustu S. Products of nitrogen regulatory genes ntrA and ntrC of enteric bacteria activate glnA transcription in vitro: evidence that the ntrA product is a sigma factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Nov;82(22):7525–7529. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.22.7525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Iuchi S., Lin E. C. arcA (dye), a global regulatory gene in Escherichia coli mediating repression of enzymes in aerobic pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Mar;85(6):1888–1892. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.6.1888. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Lipman D. J., Pearson W. R. Rapid and sensitive protein similarity searches. Science. 1985 Mar 22;227(4693):1435–1441. doi: 10.1126/science.2983426. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. MacGeorge J., Korolik V., Morgan A. F., Asche V., Holloway B. W. Transfer of a chromosomal locus responsible for mucoid colony morphology in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients to P. aeruginosa PAO. J Med Microbiol. 1986 Jun;21(4):331–336. doi: 10.1099/00222615-21-4-331. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Makino K., Shinagawa H., Amemura M., Nakata A. Nucleotide sequence of the phoB gene, the positive regulatory gene for the phosphate regulon of Escherichia coli K-12. J Mol Biol. 1986 Jul 5;190(1):37–44. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90073-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Misra T. K. DNA sequencing: a new strategy to create ordered deletions, modified M13 vector, and improved reaction conditions for sequencing by dideoxy chain termination method. Methods Enzymol. 1987;155:119–139. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)55012-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Mizusawa S., Nishimura S., Seela F. Improvement of the dideoxy chain termination method of DNA sequencing by use of deoxy-7-deazaguanosine triphosphate in place of dGTP. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Feb 11;14(3):1319–1324. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.3.1319. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Norioka S., Ramakrishnan G., Ikenaka K., Inouye M. Interaction of a transcriptional activator, OmpR, with reciprocally osmoregulated genes, ompF and ompC, of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1986 Dec 25;261(36):17113–17119. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ronson C. W., Astwood P. M., Nixon B. T., Ausubel F. M. Deduced products of C4-dicarboxylate transport regulatory genes of Rhizobium leguminosarum are homologous to nitrogen regulatory gene products. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Oct 12;15(19):7921–7934. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.19.7921. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Ronson C. W., Nixon B. T., Ausubel F. M. Conserved domains in bacterial regulatory proteins that respond to environmental stimuli. Cell. 1987 Jun 5;49(5):579–581. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90530-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Stock A., Koshland D. E., Jr, Stock J. Homologies between the Salmonella typhimurium CheY protein and proteins involved in the regulation of chemotaxis, membrane protein synthesis, and sporulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Dec;82(23):7989–7993. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.23.7989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Sá-Correia I., Darzins A., Wang S. K., Berry A., Chakrabarty A. M. Alginate biosynthetic enzymes in mucoid and nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa: overproduction of phosphomannose isomerase, phosphomannomutase, and GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase by overexpression of the phosphomannose isomerase (pmi) gene. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jul;169(7):3224–3231. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.7.3224-3231.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Torres-Cabassa A. S., Gottesman S. Capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12 is regulated by proteolysis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Mar;169(3):981–989. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.3.981-989.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Trach K. A., Chapman J. W., Piggot P. J., Hoch J. A. Deduced product of the stage 0 sporulation gene spo0F shares homology with the Spo0A, OmpR, and SfrA proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Nov;82(21):7260–7264. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.21.7260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Ueno-Nishio S., Mango S., Reitzer L. J., Magasanik B. Identification and regulation of the glnL operator-promoter of the complex glnALG operon of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1984 Oct;160(1):379–384. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.1.379-384.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Vieira J., Messing J. The pUC plasmids, an M13mp7-derived system for insertion mutagenesis and sequencing with synthetic universal primers. Gene. 1982 Oct;19(3):259–268. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(82)90015-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Winans S. C., Ebert P. R., Stachel S. E., Gordon M. P., Nester E. W. A gene essential for Agrobacterium virulence is homologous to a family of positive regulatory loci. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Nov;83(21):8278–8282. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.21.8278. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES