This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Heinz, E. B.
Right arrow Articles by Streit, W. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Heinz, E. B.
Right arrow Articles by Streit, W. R.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Heinz, E. B.
Right arrow Articles by Streit, W. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2003, p. 1206-1213, Vol. 69, No. 2
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.2.1206-1213.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Biotin Limitation in Sinorhizobium meliloti Strain 1021 Alters Transcription and Translation

Elke B. Heinz and Wolfgang R. Streit*

Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik der Universität Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

Received 8 July 2002/ Accepted 18 October 2002

Most Sinorhizobium meliloti strains lack several key genes involved in microbial biotin biosynthesis, and it is assumed that this may be a special adaptation which allows the microbe to down-regulate metabolic activities in the absence of a host plant. To further explore this hypothesis, we employed two different strategies. (i) Searches of the S. meliloti genome database in combination with the construction of nine different gusA reporter fusions identified three genes involved in a biotin starvation response in this microbe. A gene coding for a protein-methyl carboxyl transferase (pcm) exhibited 13.6-fold-higher transcription under biotin-limiting conditions than cells grown in the presence of 40 nM biotin. Consistent with this observation, biotin-limiting conditions resulted in a significantly decreased survival of pcm mutant cells compared to parental cells or cells grown in the presence of 40 nM biotin. Further studies indicated that the autoinducer synthase gene, sinI, was transcribed at a 4.5-fold-higher level in early stationary phase in biotin-starved cells than in biotin-supplemented cells. Lastly, we observed that open reading frame smc02283, which codes for a putative copper resistance protein (CopC), was 21-fold down-regulated in response to biotin starvation. (ii) In a second approach, proteome analysis identified 10 proteins which were significantly down-regulated under the biotin-limiting conditions. Among the proteins identified by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry were the {varpi} subunit of the RNA polymerase and the 50S ribosomal protein L7/L12 (L8) subunit, indicating that biotin-limiting conditions generally affect transcription and translation in S. meliloti.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Phone: (49) 551-393775. Fax: (49) 551-393793. E-mail: wstreit{at}gwdg.de.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2003, p. 1206-1213, Vol. 69, No. 2
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.2.1206-1213.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Schmeisser, C., Liesegang, H., Krysciak, D., Bakkou, N., Le Quere, A., Wollherr, A., Heinemeyer, I., Morgenstern, B., Pommerening-Roser, A., Flores, M., Palacios, R., Brenner, S., Gottschalk, G., Schmitz, R. A., Broughton, W. J., Perret, X., Strittmatter, A. W., Streit, W. R. (2009). Rhizobium sp. Strain NGR234 Possesses a Remarkable Number of Secretion Systems. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 4035-4045 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dunn, M. F., Araiza, G., Mora, J. (2004). Biochemical characterization of a Rhizobium etli monovalent cation-stimulated acyl-coenzyme A carboxylase with a high substrate specificity constant for propionyl-coenzyme A. Microbiology 150: 399-406 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»