The transcriptional regulator VanT activates expression of the signal synthase VanM forming a regulatory loop in the Vibrio anguillarum quorum sensing system

• In Vibrio anguillarum, one quorum-sensing regulatory sRNA, Qrr1, was previously shown to destabilize vanT mRNA repressing expression of the transcriptional regulator VanT. In this study, three additional Qrr sRNAs that destabilize vanT mRNA were identified. The expression of the Qrr sRNA depends on the active (phosphorylated) form of the σ54-dependent response regulator VanO and the sigma factor RpoN (σ54). The phosphotransferase VanU is predicted to activate VanO, but also a putative second response regulator that may repress qrr expression activating VanT expression. Signal production by the homoserine lactone synthase VanM inhibits the phosphorelay determining VanU activity. Therefore, qrr expression and VanT were analyzed in the ΔvanM mutant. Interestingly, VanM activated qrr expression and repressed VanT expression. Moreover, vanM expression is tightly regulated and peaks early in growth. Several putative Hfq binding sites are present in the vanM 5´-untranslated region. Thus, vanM expression and mRNA stability were measured in the Δhfq mutant. Hfq destabilizes vanM mRNA, but also regulates vanM transcription. The transcriptional effect occurs indirectly through VanT, which is derepressed in the Δhfq mutant. Additionally, VanT directly binds to a conserved binding motif in the vanM promoter to positively regulate vanM expression. In summary, VanM and VanT generate a regulatory loop, in which VanM induces qrr expression to repress VanT expression and VanT negatively regulates its own expression by activating vanM expression.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Molecular biology

Molekylärbiologi

molekylärbiologi

Molecular Biology

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vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)