Use of In Vitro Transcription System for Analysis of Corynebacterium glutamicum Promoters Recognized by Two Sigma Factors.

Promoter activities in Corynebacterium glutamicum strains with deletions of genes encoding sigma factors of RNA polymerase suggested that transcription from some promoters is controlled by two sigma factors. To prove that different sigma factors are involved in the recognition of selected Corynebacterium glutamicum promoters, in vitro transcription system was applied. It was found that a typical housekeeping promoter Pper interacts with the alternative sigma factor σ(B) in addition to the primary sigma factor σ(A). On the other way round, the σ(B)-dependent promoter of the pqo gene that is expressed mainly in the stationary growth phase was active also with σ(A). Some promoters of genes involved in stress responses (P1clgR, P2dnaK, and P2dnaJ2) were found to be recognized by two stress-responding sigma factors, σ(H) and σ(E). In vitro transcription system thus proved to be a useful direct technique for demonstrating the overlap of different sigma factors in recognition of individual promoters in C. glutamicum.

Transcriptional regulation of the operon encoding stress-responsive ECF sigma factor SigH and its anti-sigma factor RshA, and control of its regulatory network in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

BACKGROUND: The expression of genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive non-pathogenic bacterium used mainly for the industrial production of amino acids, is regulated by seven different sigma factors of RNA polymerase, including the stress-responsive ECF-sigma factor SigH. The sigH gene is located in a gene cluster together with the rshA gene, putatively encoding an anti-sigma factor. The aim of this study was to analyze the transcriptional regulation of the sigH and rshA gene cluster and the effects of RshA on the SigH regulon, in order to refine the model describing the role of SigH and RshA during stress response. RESULTS: Transcription analyses revealed that the sigH gene and rshA gene are cotranscribed from four sigH housekeeping promoters in C. glutamicum. In addition, a SigH-controlled rshA promoter was found to only drive the transcription of the rshA gene. To test the role of the putative anti-sigma factor gene rshA under normal growth conditions, a C. glutamicum rshA deletion strain was constructed and used for genome-wide transcription profiling with DNA microarrays. In total, 83 genes organized in 61 putative transcriptional units, including those previously detected using sigH mutant strains, exhibited increased transcript levels in the rshA deletion mutant compared to its parental strain. The genes encoding proteins related to disulphide stress response, heat stress proteins, components of the SOS-response to DNA damage and proteasome components were the most markedly upregulated gene groups. Altogether six SigH-dependent promoters upstream of the identified genes were determined by primer extension and a refined consensus promoter consisting of 45 original promoter sequences was constructed. CONCLUSIONS: The rshA gene codes for an anti-sigma factor controlling the function of the stress-responsive sigma factor SigH in C. glutamicum. Transcription of rshA from a SigH-dependent promoter may serve to quickly shutdown the SigH-dependent stress response after the cells have overcome the stress condition. Here we propose a model of the regulation of oxidative and heat stress response including redox homeostasis by SigH, RshA and the thioredoxin system.

Construction of in vitro transcription system for Corynebacterium glutamicum and its use in the recognition of promoters of different classes.

To facilitate transcription studies in Corynebacterium glutamicum, we have developed an in vitro transcription system for this bacterium used as an industrial producer of amino acids and a model organism for actinobacteria. This system consists of C. glutamicum RNA polymerase (RNAP) core (α2, ß, ß'), a sigma factor and a promoter-carrying DNA template, that is specifically recognized by the RNAP holoenzyme formed. The RNAP core was purified from the C. glutamicum strain with the modified rpoC gene, which produced His-tagged ß' subunit. The C. glutamicum sigA and sigH genes were cloned and overexpressed using the Escherichia coli plasmid vector, and the sigma subunits σ(A) and σ(H) were purified by affinity chromatography. Using the reconstituted C. glutamicum holo-RNAPs, recognition of the σ(A)- and σ(H)-dependent promoters and synthesis of the specific transcripts was demonstrated. The developed in vitro transcription system is a novel tool that can be used to directly prove the specific recognition of a promoter by the particular σ factor(s) and to analyze transcriptional control by various regulatory proteins in C. glutamicum.

Chromosomally encoded small antisense RNA in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

The first observation of chromosomally encoded small antisense RNA in Corynebacterium glutamicum is reported. Transcription oriented in the reverse direction to the transcription of the genes cg1934 and cg1935 was demonstrated within the chromosomal cg1934-cg1935 intergenic region. The transcription was found to be increased after heat shock. The transcriptional start point of this RNA designated ArnA was localized 21 bp upstream of the cg1935 translational start point by primer extension analysis, when the total RNA was isolated from cells grown at 30 degrees C. After heat shock, the transcriptional start point of an additional species of ArnA RNA was detected 19 bp upstream of the cg1935 translational start point. The stress-response sigma factor SigH was found to be involved in the synthesis of ArnA RNAs. The 3' end of the ArnA RNAs was identified using the 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. The length of the two ArnA RNA species was thus determined to be 129 and 131 nt, respectively. The ArnA RNAs were found to overlap the 5'-untranslated region of the transcript of the cg1935 gene coding for a transcriptional regulator of the GntR family. These results suggest that the noncoding ArnA RNAs have a regulatory function.