Phosphorylation of PhoP protein plays direct regulatory role in lipid biosynthesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis PhoP is essential for virulence and intracellular growth of the tubercle bacilli. Genetic evidence suggests that PhoP regulates complex lipid biosynthesis, and absence of some of these lipid molecules in a phoP mutant partly accounts for its attenuated growth in macrophages and/or mice. To investigate the mechanism of regulation, here we demonstrate the essentiality of phosphorylation of PhoP in the regulation of complex lipid biosynthesis. We show that phosphorylated PhoP activates transcription of pks2 and msl3, gene(s) encoding polyketide β-ketoacyl synthases through direct DNA binding at the upstream regulatory region(s) of the target genes. Our results identify the genetic determinants recognized by PhoP and show that activation of target genes requires inte

SUBMITTER: Goyal R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3247998 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature