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G Storz

Publications and source records attributed to G Storz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Activation of the OxyR transcription factor by reversible disulfide bond formation.

The OxyR transcription factor is sensitive to oxidation and activates the expression of antioxidant genes in response to hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli. Genetic and biochemical studies revealed that OxyR is activated through the formation of a disulfide bond and is deactivated by enzymatic reduction with glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1). The gene encoding Grx1 is regulated by OxyR, thus providing a mechanism for autoregulation. The redox potential of OxyR was determined to be -185 millivolts, ensuring that OxyR is reduced in the absence of stress. These results represent an example of redox signaling through disulfide bond formation and reduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Characterization of an unstable allele of the Arabidopsis HY4 locus.

The Arabidopsis HY4 gene encodes the nonessential blue light photoreceptor CRY1. Loss-of-function hy4 mutants have an elongated hypocotyl phenotype after germination under blue light. We previously analyzed 20 independent hy4 alleles produced by fast neutron mutagenesis. These alleles were grouped into two classes based on their genetic behavior and corresponding deletion size: (1) null hy4 alleles that were semidominant over wild type and contained small or moderate-sized deletions at HY4 and (2) null hy4 alleles that were recessive lethal and contained large HY4 deletions. Here we describe one additional fast neutron hy4 mutant, B144, that did not fall into either of these two classes. Mutant B144 was isolated as a heterozygote with an intermediate hy4 phenotype. One allele from this mutant, hy4-B144(Delta), contains a large deletion at HY4 and is recessive lethal. The other allele from this mutant, HY4-B144*, appears to be intact and functional but is unstable and spontaneously converts to a nonfunctional hy4 allele. In addition, HY4-B144* is lethal in homozygotes and suppresses local recombination. We discuss genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that may account for the unusual behavior of the HY4-B144* allele.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

A small, stable RNA induced by oxidative stress: role as a pleiotropic regulator and antimutator.

Exposure of E. coli to hydrogen peroxide induces the transcription of a small RNA denoted oxyS. The oxyS RNA is stable, abundant, and does not encode a protein. oxyS activates and represses the expression of numerous genes in E. coli, and eight targets, including genes encoding the transcriptional regulators FhlA and sigma(S), were identified. oxyS expression also leads to a reduction in spontaneous and chemically-induced mutagenesis. Our results suggest that the oxyS RNA acts as a regulator that integrates adaptation to hydrogen peroxide with other cellular stress responses and helps to protect cells against oxidative damage.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1996

The response regulator RssB controls stability of the sigma(S) subunit of RNA polymerase in Escherichia coli.

The rpoS-encoded sigma(S) subunit of RNA polymerase is a central regulator in a regulatory network that governs the expression of many stationary phase-induced and osmotically regulated genes in Escherichia coli. sigma(S) is itself induced under these conditions due to an increase in rpoS transcription (only in rich media) and rpoS translation as well as a stabilization of sigma(S) protein which in growing cells is subject to rapid turnover. We demonstrate here that a response regulator, RssB, plays a crucial role in the control of the cellular sigma(S) content. rssB null mutants exhibit nearly constitutively high levels of sigma(S) and are impaired in the post-transcriptional growth phase-related and osmotic regulation of sigma(S). Whereas rpoS translational control is not affected, sigma(S) is stable in rssB mutants, indicating that RssB is essential for sigma(S) turnover. RssB contains a unique C-terminal output domain and is the first known response regulator involved in the control of protein turnover.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1996

Transcriptional regulators of oxidative stress-inducible genes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

It appears that redox regulation is an important mechanism for the control of transcription factor activation. The role of oxidation-reduction is probably determined in part by the structure of the transcription factors. For example, the presence of cysteine residues within the DNA binding sites may sensitize a transcription factor to ROS. The ROS-mediated regulation of transcription factors is specific, some ROS are more efficient than other ROS in activating defined regulators. While the protective antioxidant responses induced by ROS in prokaryotes and eukaryotes are rather conserved (for example, SOD, HSP...), the regulators for these genes do not appear to be conserved. Further studies designed to fully characterize these regulators and understand the subtle mechanisms involved in redox gene regulation are ongoing, and should provide the theoretical basis for clinical approaches using antioxidant therapies in human diseases in which oxidative stress is implicated.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of fast neutron-generated mutants at the Arabidopsis thaliana HY4 locus.

Ionizing radiation is expected to produce mutants with deletions or other chromosomal rearrangements. These mutants are useful for a variety of purposes, such as creating null alleles and cloning genes whose existence is known only from their mutant phenotype; however, only a few mutations generated by ionizing radiation have been characterized at the molecular level in Arabidopsis thaliana. Twenty fast neutron-generated alleles of the Arabidopsis HY4 locus, which encodes a blue light receptor, CRY1, were isolated and characterized. Nine of the mutant alleles displayed normal genetic behavior. The other 11 mutant alleles were poorly transmitted through the male gametophyte and were lethal in homozygous plants. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that alleles of the first group generally contain small or moderate-sized deletions at HY4, while alleles of the second group contain large deletions at this locus. These results demonstrate that fast neutrons can produce a range of deletions at a single locus in Arabidopsis. Many of these deletions would be suitable for cloning by genomic subtraction or representational difference analysis. The results also suggest the presence of an essential locus adjacent to HY4.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of Arabidopsis mutants deficient in flavonoid biosynthesis.

Eleven loci that play a role in the synthesis of flavonoids in Arabidopsis are described. Mutations at these loci, collectively named transparent testa (tt), disrupt the synthesis of brown pigments in the seed coat (testa). Several of these loci (tt3, tt4, tt5 and ttg) are also required for the accumulation of purple anthocyanins in leaves and stems and one locus (ttg) plays additional roles in trichome and root hair development. Specific functions were previously assigned to tt1-7 and ttg. Here, the results of additional genetic, biochemical and molecular analyses of these mutants are described. Genetic map positions were determined for tt8, tt9 and tt10. Thin-layer chromatography identified tissue- and locus-specific differences in the flavonols and anthocyanidins synthesized by mutant and wild-type plants. It was found that UV light reveals distinct differences in the floral tissues of tt3, tt4, tt5, tt6 and ttg, even though these tissues are indistinguishable under visible light. Evidence was also uncovered that tt8 and ttg specifically affect dihydroflavonol reductase gene expression. A summary of these and previously published results are incorporated into an overview of the genetics of flavonoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1995

Mutational analysis of the redox-sensitive transcriptional regulator OxyR: regions important for oxidation and transcriptional activation.

OxyR is a redox-sensitive transcriptional regulator of the LysR family which activates the expression of genes important for the defense against hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli and Samonella typhimurium. OxyR is sensitive to oxidation and reduction, and only oxidized OxyR is able to activate transcription of its target genes. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that one cysteine residue (C-199) is critical for the redox sensitivity of OxyR, and a C-199-->S mutation appears to lock the OxyR protein in the reduced form. We also used a random mutagenesis approach to isolate eight constitutively active mutants. All of the mutations are located in the C-terminal half of the protein, and four of the mutations map near the critical C-199 residue. In vivo as well as in vitro transcription experiments showed that the constitutive mutant proteins were able to activate transcription under both oxidizing and reducing conditions, and DNase I footprints showed that this activation is due to the ability of the mutant proteins to induce cooperative binding of RNA polymerase. Unexpectedly, RNA polymerase was also found to reciprocally affect OxyR binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Mutational analysis of the redox-sensitive transcriptional regulator OxyR: regions important for DNA binding and multimerization.

OxyR is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator which negatively regulates its own expression and positively regulates the expression of proteins important for the defense against hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Using random mutagenesis, we isolated six nonrepressing OxyR mutants that were impaired in DNA binding. Five of the mutations causing the DNA binding defect mapped near the N-terminal helix-turn-helix motif conserved among the LysR family members, confirming that this region is a DNA binding domain in OxyR. The sixth nonrepressing mutant (with E-225 changed to K [E225K]) was found to be predominantly dimeric, in contrast to the tetrameric wild-type protein, suggesting that a C-terminal region defined by the E225K mutation is involved in multimerization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Redox-dependent shift of OxyR-DNA contacts along an extended DNA-binding site: a mechanism for differential promoter selection.

The redox-sensitive OxyR protein activates the transcription of antioxidant defense genes in response to oxidative stress and represses its own expression under both oxidizing and reducing conditions. Previous studies showed that OxyR-binding sites are unusually long with limited sequence similarity. Here, we report that oxidized OxyR recognizes a motif comprised of four ATAGnt elements spaced at 10 bp intervals and contacts these elements in four adjacent major grooves on one face of the DNA helix. In contrast, reduced OxyR contacts two pairs of adjacent major grooves separated by one helical turn. The two modes of binding are essential for OxyR to function as both an activator and a repressor in vivo. We propose that specific DNA recognition by an OxyR tetramer is achieved with four contacts of intermediate affinity allowing OxyR to reposition its DNA contacts and target alternate sets of promoters as the cellular redox state is altered.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed1994

Cloning and sequencing of thiol-specific antioxidant from mammalian brain: alkyl hydroperoxide reductase and thiol-specific antioxidant define a large family of antioxidant enzymes.

A cDNA corresponding to a thiol-specific antioxidant enzyme (TSA) was isolated from a rat brain cDNA library with the use of antibodies to bovine TSA. The cDNA clone encoded an open reading frame capable of encoding a 198-residue polypeptide. The rat and yeast TSA proteins show significant sequence homology to the 21-kDa component (AhpC) of Salmonella typhimurium alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, and we have found that AhpC exhibits TSA activity. AhpC and TSA define a family of > 25 different proteins present in organisms from all kingdoms. The similarity among the family members extends over the entire sequence and ranges between 23% and 98% identity. A majority of the members of the AhpC/TSA family contain two conserved cysteines. At least eight of the genes encoding AhpC/TSA-like polypeptides are found in proximity to genes encoding other oxidoreductase activities, and the expression of several of the homologs has been correlated with pathogenicity. We suggest that the AhpC/TSA family represents a widely distributed class of antioxidant enzymes. We also report that a second family of proteins, defined by the 57-kDa component (AhpF) of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase and by thioredoxin reductase, has expanded to include six additional members.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

OxyR regulon.

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Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1994

The dps promoter is activated by OxyR during growth and by IHF and sigma S in stationary phase.

Dps is a non-specific DNA-binding protein abundant in starved Escherichia coli cells and is important for the defence against hydrogen peroxide. We found that dps mRNA levels are controlled by rpoS-encoded sigma S, the transcriptional activator OxyR and the histone-like IHF protein. In exponentially growing cells, dps is induced by treatment with hydrogen peroxide in an OxyR-dependent manner. This OxyR-dependent induction occurs only during log phase, although the OxyR protein is present in stationary phase. In the stationary phase cells, dps is expressed in a sigma S- and IHF-dependent manner. The purified OxyR and IHF proteins are also shown to bind upstream of the dps promoter. Our results suggest that the dps promoter is recognized by both sigma 70-holoenzyme and sigma S-holoenzyme, since OxyR acts through sigma 70 and the starts of the OxyR- and sigma S-dependent transcripts are identical.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Effects of peroxides on susceptibilities of Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis to isoniazid.

Escherichia coli strains were previously found to be susceptible to the antituberculosis drug isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid [INH]) when they carried certain mutations that also sensitize them to peroxides: a deletion in oxyR, a redox-sensitive regulator of hydrogen peroxide-inducible genes, or mutations in both katG and ahpCF, OxyR-regulated genes encoding hydroperoxidase I, and an alkyl hydroperoxide reductase. To test whether INH, like peroxides, activates OxyR, the effect of INH on OxyR regulation was examined. Primer extension assays showed that transcription of the OxyR-regulated oxyS gene was not significantly induced by INH in wild-type cells, indicating that INH does not activate OxyR. However, the INH-susceptible katG ahpCF mutant strain was found to have constitutively high levels of oxyS transcription. This suggested that the lack of peroxidase expression in these strains allows endogenous oxidants to accumulate, and this leads not only to constitutive OxyR activation but also to INH susceptibility. Consistent with this concept, hydrogen peroxide or cumene hydroperoxide potentiated the INH susceptibilities of wild-type cells, while the antioxidant ascorbic acid protected the susceptible katG ahpCF mutant strain from INH. Superoxide radicals, generated by paraquat, did not enhance the INH susceptibilities of wild-type cells. Hydrogen peroxide also potentiated the INH susceptibilities of susceptible and resistant (katG mutant) Mycobacterium smegmatis strains. Our results suggest that INH is converted to a more active drug by reaction with peroxides and that the INH susceptibilities of enterobacteria and mycobacteria are mechanistically related.

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1992

Multidegenerate DNA recognition by the OxyR transcriptional regulator.

The Escherichia coli OxyR protein, a regulator of hydrogen peroxide-inducible genes, is a potent stimulator of transcription in its oxidized form but not in its reduced form. OxyR protein purified in its oxidized form was found to bind four of its non-homologous, functional DNA-binding sites with over 10(6)-fold higher affinity than random DNA sequences. A similarly high DNA binding specificity was observed for the reduced (transcriptionally inactive) form of OxyR, consistent with a model in which the OxyR protein is bound to its recognition sequences even in the absence of an oxidative stress. Alignment of five functional OxyR-binding sites revealed a marked lack of perfectly conserved positions, yet an unusually high number of degenerate homologies (positions at which only two of the four possible base pairs are represented). Methylation interference assays on two OxyR-binding sites showed that OxyR contacts its recognition sequences predominantly at positions of degenerate homology. These results suggest that the OxyR protein specifically recognizes seemingly dissimilar sequences through the use of a multidegenerate recognition code. The chemical basis for a plausible degenerate recognition system is discussed.

Bacterial Proteins↗