Expression and Regulation of a Silent Operon, <i>hyf</i> , Coding for Hydrogenase 4 Isoenzyme in <i>Escherichia coli</i>

William T. Self, Adnan Hasona, K. T. Shanmugam

Journal of Bacteriology · 2003 · 96 citations · 42 references

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Abstract

On the basis of hyf-lacZ fusion studies, the hyf operon of Escherichia coli, noted for encoding the fourth hydrogenase isoenzyme (HYD4), is not expressed at a significant level in a wild-type strain. However, mutant FhlA proteins (constitutive activators of the hyc-encoded hydrogenase 3 isoenzyme) activated hyf-lacZ. HyfR, an FhlA homolog encoded by the hyfR gene present at the end of the hyf operon, also activated transcription of hyf-lacZ but did so only when hyfR was expressed from a heterologous promoter. The HYD4 isoenzyme did not substitute for HYD3 in H(2) production. Optimum expression of hyf-lacZ required the presence of cyclic AMP receptor protein-cyclic AMP complex and anaerobic conditions when HyfR was the activator.

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