Biotin limitation in Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021 alters transcription and translation.

ABSTRACT: Most Sinorhizobium meliloti strains lack several key genes involved in microbial biotin biosynthesis, and it is assumed that this may be a special adaptation which allows the microbe to down-regulate metabolic activities in the absence of a host plant. To further explore this hypothesis, we employed two different strategies. (i) Searches of the S. meliloti genome database in combination with the construction of nine different gusA reporter fusions identified three genes involved in a biotin starvation response in this microbe. A gene coding for a protein-methyl carboxyl transferase (pcm) exhibited 13.6-fold-higher transcription under biotin-limiting conditions than cells grown in the presence of 40 nM biotin. Consistent with this observation, biotin-limiting conditions resulted in a signif

SUBMITTER: Heinz EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC143622 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature