Open AccessPositive regulation of glutamate biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis
Author(s) -
Dian E. Bohan,
Abraham L. Sonenshein
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.171.9.4718-4727.1989
Subject(s) - biology , bacillus subtilis , transcription (linguistics) , gene , gene product , mutant , transcriptional regulation , promoter , genetics , transcription factor , gene expression , biochemistry , bacteria , linguistics , philosophy
Nitrogen source regulation of glutamate synthase activity in Bacillus subtilis occurs at the level of transcription of the gltA and gltB genes, which encode the two subunits of the enzyme. We show here that transcription of gltA requires the product of gltC, a gene whose transcription is divergent from that of gltA and whose transcriptional control sequences overlap those of gltA. gltC mutants had decreased, aberrantly regulated levels of glutamate synthase activity and decreased gltA mRNA. The gltC gene product could act in trans to complement both these defects. In addition, the gltC gene product repressed its own transcription. The DNA sequence of gltC revealed that its putative product is very similar to a number of positive regulatory proteins from gram-negative bacteria (the LysR family).