AccR controls the activity of the PD promoter under anaerobic conditions.
A and B, Azoarcus sp. CIB (CIB) and Azoarcus sp. CIBΔaccR (CIBΔaccR) cells were grown aerobically (A) or anaerobically (B) in minimal medium containing 3 mm benzoate (black bars) or a mixture of 3 mm benzoate and 0.2% succinate (white bars) until mid-exponential phase. Transcripts from the PD promoter were measured by real-time RT-PCR. Graphed values (in arbitrary units) are the average from three independent experiments ± S.D. (error bars). C, gel retardation analyses of PD probe as in Fig. 3B. Assays were performed with increasing concentrations (0–12 μm) of carbamoyl phosphate-treated His6-AccR (AccR-P). The free PD probe and the major PD·AccR-P complex are indicated by arrows. D, sequence alignment of AccR binding regions in different catabolic promoters of Azoarcus sp. CIB. PN (OR2), operator region 2 of the PN promoter; PN (OR1), operator region 1 of the PN promoter; PD, PD promoter of the box cluster; PB1, PB1 promoter of the mbd cluster. A consensus sequence of the AccR operator is shown at the bottom. Nucleotides identical to the consensus are shown in boldface type.