Probing key DNA contacts in AraR-mediated transcriptional repression of the Bacillus subtilis arabinose regulon.

ABSTRACT: In the absence of arabinose, the AraR transcription factor represses the expression of genes involved in the utilization of arabinose, xylose and galactose in Bacillus subtilis. AraR exhibits a chimeric organization: the N-terminal DNA-binding region belongs to the GntR family and the C-terminal effector-binding domain is homologous to the GalR/LacI family. Here, the AraR-DNA-binding interactions were characterized in vivo and in vitro. The effect of residue substitutions in the AraR N-terminal domain and of base-pair exchanges into an AraR-DNA-binding operator site were examined by assaying for AraR-mediated regulatory activity in vivo and DNA-binding activity in vitro. The results showed that residues K4, R45 and Q61, located in or near the winged-helix DNA-binding motif, were the most c

SUBMITTER: Franco IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1950556 | biostudies-literature | 2007

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature