The F-ATPase Operon Promoter of <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> Is Transcriptionally Regulated in Response to External pH

Abstract

Streptococcus mutans F-ATPase, the major component of the acid-adaptive response of the organism, is transcriptionally upregulated at low pH. Fusions of the F-ATPase promoter to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase indicated that pH-dependent expression is still observed with a short promoter that contains a domain conserved between streptococcal ATPase operons.