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- Agervald, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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CalA, a cyanobacterial AbrB protein, interacts with the upstream region of hypC and acts as a repressor of its transcription in the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120
- 2010
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Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 76:3, s. 880-890
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The filamentous, heterocystous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 may contain, depending on growth condition, up to two hydrogenases directly involved in hydrogen metabolism. HypC is one out of at least seven auxiliary gene products required for synthesis of a functional hydrogenase, specifically involved in the maturation of the large subunit. In this study we present a protein, Alr0946, belonging to the transcription regulator family AbrB, which in protein-DNA assays was found to interact with the upstream region of hypC. Transcriptional investigations showed that alr0946 is co-transcribed with the downstream gene alr0947, which encodes a putative protease from the abortive infection superfamily, Abi. Alr0946 was shown to interact specifically not only with the upstream region of hypC but also with its own upstream region, acting as a repressor on both. The bidirectional hydrogenase activity was significant down-regulated when Alr0946 was over-expressed demonstrating a correlation to the transcription factor, either direct or indirect. In silico studies showed that homologues to both Alr0946 and Alr0947 are highly conserved proteins within cyanobacteria with a very similar physical organisation of the corresponding structural genes. Possible functions of the co-transcribed downstream protein Alr0947 are presented. In addition, we present a 3D model of the CyAbrB domain of Alr0946 and putative DNA-binding mechanisms are discussed.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Camsund, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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A HupS-GFP fusion protein demonstrates a heterocyst-specific localization of the uptake hydrogenase in Nostoc punctiforme
- 2011
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Letters. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0378-1097 .- 1574-6968. ; 316:2, s. 152-159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria contain an uptake hydrogenase that is involved in the reoxidation of H-2 produced during N-2-fixation. In Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133, N-2-fixation takes place in the microaerobic heterocysts, catalysed by a nitrogenase. Although the function of the uptake hydrogenase may be closely connected to that of nitrogenase, the localization in cyanobacteria has been under debate. Moreover, the subcellular localization is not understood. To investigate the cellular and subcellular localization of the uptake hydrogenase in N. punctiforme, a reporter construct consisting of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) translationally fused to HupS, within the complete hupSL operon, was constructed and transferred into N. punctiforme on a self-replicative vector by electroporation. Expression of the complete HupS-GFP fusion protein was confirmed by Western blotting using GFP antibodies. The N. punctiforme culture expressing HupS-GFP was examined using laser scanning confocal microscopy, and fluorescence was exclusively detected in the heterocysts. Furthermore, the fluorescence in mature heterocysts was localized to several small or fewer large clusters, which indicates a specificity of the subcellular localization of the uptake hydrogenase.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Devine, Ellenor, 1977-
(författare)
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Cyanobacterial Hydrogen Metabolism : Regulation and Maturation of Hydrogenases
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In times with elevated CO2 levels and global warming there is a need of finding alternatives to carbon based energy carriers. One such environmental friendly solution could be H2 produced by living organisms. Cyanobacteria are good candidates since they can produce H2 from sunlight and water through the combination of photosynthesis and H2 producing enzymes i.e. nitrogenases and/or [NiFe]-hydrogenases. This thesis investigates the maturation and transcriptional regulation of [NiFe]-hydrogenases in cyanobacteria, with a special focus on hydrogenase specific proteases. The core of all hydrogenases consists of the small and large subunit. The large subunit in which the catalytic site is located goes through an extenstive maturation process which ends with a proteolytic cleavage performed by a hydrogenase specific protease (HupW/HoxW). This thesis shows that within the maturation process of hydrogenases, the proteolytic cleavage is probably the only step that is specific with respect to different types of hydrogenases i.e. one type of protease cleaves only one type of hydrogenase. Further in-silico analysis revealed that these proteases and the hydrogenases might have co-evolved since ancient time and that the specificity observed could be the result of a conserved amino acid sequence which differs between the two types of proteases (HupW/HoxW). A number of different transcription factors were revealed and shown to interact with the promoter regions of several of the genes encoding maturation proteins. The results indicate that the hydrogenase specific proteases are regulated on a transcriptional level in a similar manner as the hydrogenases they cleave. This thesis contributes with knowledge concerning transcriptional regulation and protein regulation of hydrogenases which will be useful for designing genetically engineered cyanobacteria with an improved and adjustable H2 production.
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| 6. |
- Devine, Ellenor, et al.
(författare)
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Diversity and transcription of proteases involved in the maturation of hydrogenases in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp strain PCC 7120
- 2009
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Ingår i: BMC Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2180. ; 9, s. 53-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The last step in the maturation process of the large subunit of [NiFe]-hydrogenases is a proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal by a hydrogenase specific protease. Contrary to other accessory proteins these hydrogenase proteases are believed to be specific whereby one type of hydrogenases specific protease only cleaves one type of hydrogenase. In cyanobacteria this is achieved by the gene product of either hupW or hoxW, specific for the uptake or the bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. The filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp strain PCC 7120 may contain a single uptake hydrogenase or both an uptake and a bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. Results: In order to examine these proteases in cyanobacteria, transcriptional analyses were performed of hupW in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and hupW and hoxW in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. These studies revealed numerous transcriptional start points together with putative binding sites for NtcA (hupW) and LexA (hoxW). In order to investigate the diversity and specificity among hydrogeanse specific proteases we constructed a phylogenetic tree which revealed several subgroups that showed a striking resemblance to the subgroups previously described for[NiFe]-hydrogenases. Additionally the proteases specificity was also addressed by amino acid sequence analysis and protein-protein docking experiments with 3D-models derived from bioinformatic studies. These studies revealed a so called "HOXBOX"; an amino acid sequence specific for protease of Hox-type which might be involved in docking with the large subunit of the hydrogenase. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the hydrogenase specific proteases are under similar regulatory control as the hydrogenases they cleave. The result from the phylogenetic study also indicates that the hydrogenase and the protease have co-evolved since ancient time and suggests that at least one major horizontal gene transfer has occurred. This co-evolution could be the result of a close interaction between the protease and the large subunit of the[NiFe]-hydrogenases, a theory supported by protein-protein docking experiments performed with 3D-models. Finally we present data that may explain the specificity seen among hydrogenase specific proteases, the so called "HOXBOX"; an amino acid sequence specific for proteases of Hox-type. This opens the door for more detailed studies of the specificity found among hydrogenase specific proteases and the structural properties behind it.
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