Transcriptional Activation of Multiple Operons Involved inpara-Nitrophenol Degradation by Pseudomonas sp. Strain WBC-3

Abstract

ABSTRACTPseudomonassp. strain WBC-3 utilizespara-nitrophenol (PNP) as a sole carbon and energy source. The genes involved in PNP degradation are organized in the following three operons:pnpA,pnpB, andpnpCDEFG. How the expression of the genes is regulated is unknown. In this study, an LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) is identified to activate the expression of the genes in response to the specific inducer PNP. While the LTTR coding genepnpRwas found to be not physically linked to any of the three catabolic operons, it was shown to be essential for the growth of strain WBC-3 on PNP. Furthermore, PnpR positively regulated its own expression, which is different from the function of classical LTTRs. A regulatory binding site (RBS) with a 17-bp imperfect palindromic sequence (GTT-N11-AAC) was identified in allpnpA,pnpB,pnpC, andpnpRpromoters. Through electrophoretic mobility shift assays and mutagenic analyses, this motif was proven to be necessary for PnpR binding. This consensus motif is centered at positions approximately −55 bp relative to the four transcriptional start sites (TSSs). RBS integrity was required for both high-affinity PnpR binding and transcriptional activation ofpnpA,pnpB, andpnpR. However, this integrity was essential only for high-affinity PnpR binding to the promoter ofpnpCDEFGand not for its activation. Intriguingly, unlike other LTTRs studied, no changes in lengths of the PnpR binding regions of thepnpAandpnpBpromoters were observed after the addition of the inducer PNP in DNase I footprinting.