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U Dobrindt

Publications and source records attributed to U Dobrindt.

20 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The Pai-associated leuX specific tRNA5(Leu) affects type 1 fimbriation in pathogenic Escherichia coli by control of FimB recombinase expression.

The uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536 (06:K15:H31) carries two large chromosomal pathogenicity islands (Pais). Both Pais are flanked by tRNA genes. Spontaneous deletion of Pai II results in truncation of the leuX tRNA5Leu gene. This tRNA is required for the expression of type 1 fimbriae (Fim) and other virulence factors. Transcription of fimA, encoding the major type 1 fimbrial subunit is controlled by an invertable DNA switch. The inversion is catalysed by two recombinases, FimB and FimE. FimB is able to turn the switch on, FimE only off. The fimB gene of strain 536 contains five TTG codons recognized by tRNA5Leu, fimE contains only two. It was proposed that turning on the fim switch requires efficient translation of FimB, in turn requiring tRNA5Leu. Strains in which the TTG codons in fimB were replaced with CTG codons at the wild-type locus were able to produce type 1 fimbriae in the absence of leuX. fimB transcription was influenced by the presence of leuX, but only slightly affected by the presence or absence of leuX codons in fimB. FimB translation was significantly higher from codon-replaced fimB genes than that of wild-type fimB genes in various strain backgrounds. The fim switch was shown to be switched off in leuX-derivatives of E. coli 536, but could be found in the on position when the codon-altered fimB gene was exchanged into the chromosome of these strains. From these data, it is apparent that tRNA5Leu is required for efficient translation of FimB, in turn, leading to type 1 fimbrial expression.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Purification and characterization of a membrane-bound hydrogenase from Sporomusa sphaeroides involved in energy-transducing electron transport.

Hydrogenase was solubilized from the cytoplasmic membrane fraction of betaine-grown Sporomusa sphaeroides, and the enzyme was purified under oxic conditions. The oxygen-sensitive enzyme was partially reactivated under reducing conditions, resulting in a maximal activity of 19.8 μmol H2 oxidized min-1 (mg protein)-1 with benzyl viologen as electron acceptor and an apparent Km value for H2 of 341 μM. The molecular mass of the native protein estimated by native PAGE and gel filtration was 122 and 130 kDa, respectively. SDS-PAGE revealed two polypeptides with molecular masses of 65 and 37 kDa, present in a 1:1 ratio. The native protein contained 15.6 +/- 1.7 mol Fe, 11.4 +/- 1.4 mol S2-, and 0.6 mol Ni per mol enzyme. The hydrogenase coupled with viologen dyes, but not with other various artificial electron carriers, FAD, FMN, or NAD(P)+. The amino acid sequence of the N-termini of the subunits showed a high degree of similarity to eubacterial membrane-bound uptake hydrogenases. Washed membranes catalyzed a H2-dependent cytochrome b reduction at a rate of 0.18 nmol min-1 (mg protein)-1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗