Structural basis for the transcriptional regulation of heme homeostasis in Lactococcus lactis.

ABSTRACT: Although heme is a crucial element for many biological processes including respiration, heme homeostasis should be regulated strictly due to the cytotoxicity of free heme molecules. Numerous lactic acid bacteria, including Lactococcus lactis, acquire heme molecules exogenously to establish an aerobic respiratory chain. A heme efflux system plays an important role for heme homeostasis to avoid cytotoxicity of acquired free heme, but its regulatory mechanism is not clear. Here, we report that the transcriptional regulator heme-regulated transporter regulator (HrtR) senses and binds a heme molecule as its physiological effector to regulate the expression of the heme-efflux system responsible for heme homeostasis in L. lactis. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of how HrtR senses a heme mol

SUBMITTER: Sawai H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3436319 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature