Two-component system CbrA/CbrB controls alginate production in Free

Abstract

belonging to the family, is a free-living bacterium that has been considered to be a good source for the production of bacterial polymers such as alginate. In the synthesis of this polymer is regulated by the Gac/Rsm post-transcriptional regulatory system, in which the RsmA protein binds to the mRNA of the biosynthetic gene, inhibiting translation. In several spp. the two-component system CbrA/CbrB has been described to control a variety of metabolic and behavioural traits needed for adaptation to changing environmental conditions. In this work, we show that the CbrA/CbrB two-component system negatively affects alginate synthesis, a function that has not been described in or any other species. CbrA/CbrB was found to control the expression of some alginate biosynthetic genes, mainly translation. In agreement with this result, the CbrA/CbrB system was necessary for optimal expression levels. CbrA/CbrB was also required for maximum accumulation of the sigma factor RpoS. This last effect could explain the positive effect of CbrA/CbrB on expression, as we also showed that one of the promoters driving transcription was RpoS-dependent. However, although inactivation of increased alginate production by almost 100 %, a mutation increased the synthesis of this polymer by up to 500 %, implying the existence of additional CbrA/CbrB regulatory pathways for the control of alginate production. The control exerted by CbrA/CbrB on the expression of the RsmA protein indicates the central role of this system in regulating carbon metabolism in .

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2017-07-01
2024-03-29
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