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Phosphate sensing in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: SphU and the SphS–SphR two-component regulatory system

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Abstract

The Pho regulon is controlled by the histidine kinase-response regulator pair SphS–SphR in many cyanobacteria and up-regulation of the Pho regulon can be monitored by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity. However, the mechanism regulating signal transduction between SphS and SphR has not been described. We have created a cyanobacterial strain allowing the introduction of mutations into the transmitter domain of SphS. Mutations at Thr-167, adjacent to the H motif of SphS, introduce elevated alkaline phosphatase activity in the presence of phosphate and an enhancement of alkaline phosphatase activity, when compared to the control strain, in phosphate-limiting media. SphU acts as a negative regulator of the SphS–SphR system in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and we show that constitutive alkaline phosphatase activity in the absence of SphU requires signal transduction through SphS and SphR. However, constitutive activity in the absence of SphU is severely attenuated in the ΔSphU:SphS-T167N mutant. Our data suggest that Thr-167 contributes to the mechanism underlying regulation by SphU. We have also assembled a deletion mutant system allowing the introduction of mutations into SphR and show that Gly-225 and Trp-236, which are both conserved in SphR from cyanobacteria, are essential for activation of the Pho regulon under phosphate-limiting conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. program (W.J., A.I.) and an Otago University Research Grant to J.J.E.-R. We thank Abby Cuttriss for constructing the pΔSphR-specR and pTZ:SphR-camR plasmids and Shahram Zandvakili for constructing pslr0741.

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  1. Tripty A. Hirani

    Present address: ARC Centre for Legume Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

  2. Joanne M. Simpson

    Present address: Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Waraporn Juntarajumnong, Tripty A. Hirani, Joanne M. Simpson & Julian J. Eaton-Rye

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Waraporn Juntarajumnong & Aran Incharoensakdi

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  1. Waraporn Juntarajumnong
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Correspondence to Julian J. Eaton-Rye.

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Communicated by Mary Allen.

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Juntarajumnong, W., Hirani, T.A., Simpson, J.M. et al. Phosphate sensing in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: SphU and the SphS–SphR two-component regulatory system. Arch Microbiol 188, 389–402 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-007-0259-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-007-0259-0

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