In order to experimentally test these predictions, we created truncations in the putative mxd promoter region, and transcriptionally fused the truncated promoters selleck chemicals llc to lacZ, yielding strains AS832-835 (Figure 4B) (see Table 1 and 2). All strains were grown in LB medium, and cells from early exponential phase (2 h) through late stationary phase (24 h) were harvested Figure 4 Characterization of the mxd promoter. (A) Schematic representation

of the mxd transcription start site (+1). (B) Wild type strains carrying reporter selleck chemical constructs with truncated mxdA up-stream regions transcriptionally fused to lacZ were grown under complex media conditions. The different strains were assayed for β-galactosidase activity, expressed as Miller ARRY-438162 solubility dmso Units (MU). The cartoon on the left side shows a graphical representation of the truncated P mxd ::lacZ constructs. The construct marked 0 contains a fragment corresponding to 150 bp upstream of the mxdA translation initiation site, representing the approximate transcription start site. The constructs marked -100, -150 and -300 contain fragments corresponding to 100, 150 and 300 bp upstream of the approximate transcription start site and correspond to strains

AS834, AS833 and AS832. The graph on the right side shows the corresponding β-galactosidase activities (y-axis) for cells harvested after 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 10 h and 24 h (x-axis). A predicted ArcA binding site at position -112 bp is indicated. and assayed for β-galactosidase activity (Figure 4B). Interestingly, when deleting the region upstream of -100 bp from the transcriptional

start site (AS834), expression was increased about eightfold during exponential growth phase (> 6 h) compared to reporter strains carrying mxd upstream regions deleted to -150 bp (AS833) and -300 bp (AS832) (Figure 4B). As the ArcA binding sites were predicted at -29 bp, -86 bp and -112 bp upstream of the mxd transcriptional start site, the predicted -112 bp ArcA binding site is deleted in the -100 bp reporter strain (AS834), thus abolishing putative ArcA binding. Collectively, BCKDHB the observed data are consistent with the hypothesis that ArcS/ArcA is a major transcriptional repressor of the mxd operon under planktonic conditions. BarA/UvrY is a major activator of mxd expression in planktonic cells In the above reported transposon mutageneses, we also identified uvrY (SO1860) to transcriptionally control mxd. Recently biochemical evidence showed that BarA is the cognate sensor histidine kinase of UvrY, and that BarA/UvrY in S. oneidensis MR-1 constitute a functional two-component regulatory system [23].