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Phosphate acquisition components of the Myxococcus xanthus Pho regulon are regulated by both phosphate availability and development

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Whitworth, David E., Holmes, Antony B., Irvine, Alistair G., Hodgson, D. A. (David A.) and Scanlan, David J. . (2008) Phosphate acquisition components of the Myxococcus xanthus Pho regulon are regulated by both phosphate availability and development. Journal of Bacteriology, Volume 190 (Number 6). pp. 1997-2003. ISSN 0021-9193

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.01781-07

Abstract

In many organisms, phosphatase expression and phosphate (P) uptake are coordinately regulated by the Pho regulon. In Myxococcus xanthus P limitation initiates multicellular development, a process associated with changes in phosphatase expression. We sought here to characterize the link between P acquisition and development in this bacterium, an organism capable of preying upon other microorganisms as a sole nutrient source. M. xanthus seems to possess no significant internal P stores, as reducing the P concentration to less than 10 mu M retarded growth within one doubling time. Pyrophosphate, polyphosphate, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate could support growth as sole P sources, although many other P-containing biomolecules could not (including nucleic acids and phospholipids). Several Pho regulon promoters were found to be highly active during vegetative growth, and P limitation specifically induced pstSCAB, ACPA1, and pho3 promoter activity and repressed pit expression. Enhanced pstSCAB and pho3 promoter activities in a phoP4 mutant (in the presence of high and low concentrations of P) suggested that PhoP4 acts as a repressor of these genes. However, in a phoP4 background, the activities of pstSCAB remained P regulated, suggesting that there is additional regulation by a P-sensitive factor. Initiation of multicellular development caused immediate downregulation of Pho regulon genes and caused pstSCAB and pho3 promoter activities to become P insensitive. Hence, P acquisition components of the M. xanthus Pho regulon are regulated by both P availability and development, with developmental down-regulation overriding up-regulation by P limitation. These observations suggest that when development is initiated, subsequent changes in P availability become irrelevant to the population, which presumably has sufficient intrinsic P to ensure completion of the developmental program.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QD Chemistry
Q Science > QR Microbiology

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- )
Faculty of Science > Molecular Organisation and Assembly in Cells (MOAC)

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Phosphates, Myxococcus xanthus

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of Bacteriology

Publisher:

American Society for Microbiology

ISSN:

0021-9193

Official Date:

March 2008

Dates:

Date	Event
March 2008	Published

Volume:

Volume 190

Number:

Number 6

Number of Pages:

Page Range:

pp. 1997-2003

Identification Number:

10.1128/JB.01781-07

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Grant number:

BBD0039891 (BBSRC)

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