CRP acts as a transcriptional repressor of the YPO1635-phoPQ-YPO1632 operon in Yersinia pestis

Curr Microbiol. 2015 Mar;70(3):398-403. doi: 10.1007/s00284-014-0736-z. Epub 2014 Nov 21.

Abstract

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague. Both cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) and PhoP are involved in regulating virulence-related genes in Y. pestis. The phoPQ loci are transcribed as two distinct operons, YPO1635-phoPQ-YPO1632 and phoPQ-YPO1632. In the present work, the regulation of the first operon by CRP was investigated using primer extension, LacZ fusion, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and DNase I footprinting assays. The results showed that CRP bound to a DNA region overlapping core promoter -10 element and transcription start of YPO1635 to repress the expression of YPO1635-phoPQ-YPO1632. Taken together with our previous results, complex regulatory interactions of CRP-AMP and PhoP/PhoQ were proposed in Y. pestis, which would contribute to tightly controlled expression of virulence-related genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Operon*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Virulence / genetics
  • Yersinia pestis / genetics*
  • Yersinia pestis / metabolism*
  • Yersinia pestis / pathogenicity

Substances

  • Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein
  • RNA, Messenger