The long-term goal of this project is to determine how the key enzymes of nitrogen metabolism are regulated in Bacillus subtilis. Genetic and biochemical approaches will be used to study and reconstruct the regulation of the genes for glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase and to test the hypothesis that this regulation is closely tied to the intracellular balance of carbon and nitrogen metabolites. For regulation of glutamine synthetase synthesis, the most important unanswered questions concern the respective roles of a negative regulatory protein, GlnR, and glutamine synthetase itself and the nature of the intracellular metabolic signal. Evidence for functional interaction between GlnR and glutamine synthetase will be sought. In addition, in vitro experiments will seek to demonstrate the mode of action of the regulatory protein(s) and the nature of the signal. For regulation of glutamate synthase synthesis, the major questions to be answered are the mechanism by which a positive regulatory protein, GltC, affects transcription and the nature of the metabolite(s) to which it responds. An attempt will be made to reconstruct regulation in an in vitro system using purified proteins. Since cells often perceive excess or limitation of particular nutrients relative to the availability of other nutrients, the hypothesis that certain nitrogen metabolism and carbon metabolism genes participate in a double feedback control will be evaluated. That is, it is anticipated that synthesis of glutamate and glutamine is sensitive not only to the availability of nitrogen-containing compounds but also to the availability of 2-ketoglutarate, the carbon skeleton of the amino acids in question. Conversely, synthesis of 2-ketoglutarate may respond to the availability of both carbon metabolites and nitrogen-containing compounds derived from it. This will be assessed in in vitro transcription experiments and by studying the properties of mutant strains blocked in various steps in the Krebs Cycle and glutamate/glutamine synthesis.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM036718-09
Application #
2178503
Study Section
Microbial Physiology and Genetics Subcommittee 2 (MBC)
Project Start
1986-09-01
Project End
1996-06-30
Budget Start
1995-02-01
Budget End
1996-06-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Tufts University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
604483045
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02111
Mittal, Meghna; Pechter, Kieran B; Picossi, Silvia et al. (2013) Dual role of CcpC protein in regulation of aconitase gene expression in Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 159:68-76
Pechter, Kieran B; Meyer, Frederik M; Serio, Alisa W et al. (2013) Two roles for aconitase in the regulation of tricarboxylic acid branch gene expression in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 195:1525-37
Moses, Susanne; Sinner, Tatjana; Zaprasis, Adrienne et al. (2012) Proline utilization by Bacillus subtilis: uptake and catabolism. J Bacteriol 194:745-58
Belitsky, Boris R (2011) Indirect repression by Bacillus subtilis CodY via displacement of the activator of the proline utilization operon. J Mol Biol 413:321-36
Mittal, Meghna; Picossi, Silvia; Sonenshein, Abraham L (2009) CcpC-dependent regulation of citrate synthase gene expression in Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 191:862-72
Picossi, Silvia; Belitsky, Boris R; Sonenshein, Abraham L (2007) Molecular mechanism of the regulation of Bacillus subtilis gltAB expression by GltC. J Mol Biol 365:1298-313
Sonenshein, Abraham L (2007) Control of key metabolic intersections in Bacillus subtilis. Nat Rev Microbiol 5:917-27
Serio, Alisa W; Pechter, Kieran B; Sonenshein, Abraham L (2006) Bacillus subtilis aconitase is required for efficient late-sporulation gene expression. J Bacteriol 188:6396-405
Serio, Alisa W; Sonenshein, Abraham L (2006) Expression of yeast mitochondrial aconitase in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 188:6406-10
Kim, Hyun-Jin; Mittal, Meghna; Sonenshein, Abraham L (2006) CcpC-dependent regulation of citB and lmo0847 in Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 188:179-90

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