The CRISPR/Cas immune system is an operon regulated by LeuO, H-NS, and leucine-responsive regulatory protein in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

J Bacteriol. 2011 May;193(10):2396-407. doi: 10.1128/JB.01480-10. Epub 2011 Mar 11.

Abstract

Prokaryotes have developed multiple strategies to survive phage attack and invasive DNA. Recently, a novel genetic program denominated the CRISPR/Cas system was demonstrated to have a role in these biological processes providing genetic immunity. This defense mechanism is widespread in the Archaea and Bacteria, suggesting an ancient origin. In the last few years, progress has been made regarding the functionality of the CRISPR/Cas system; however, many basic aspects of the system remain unknown. For instance, there are few studies about the conditions and regulators involved in its transcriptional control. In this work, we analyzed the transcriptional organization of the CRISPR/Cas system as well as the positive and negative regulators involved in its genetic expression in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. The results obtained show that in S. Typhi the CRISPR/Cas system is a LeuO-dependent operon silenced by the global regulator LRP, in addition to the previously known nucleoid-associated protein H-NS; both LRP and H-NS bind upstream and downstream of the transcriptional start site of casA. In this study, relevant nucleotides of the casA regulatory region that mediate its LeuO transcriptional activation were identified. Interestingly, specific growth conditions (N-minimal medium) were found for the LeuO-independent expression of the CRISPR/Cas system in S. Typhi. Thus, our work provides evidence that there are multiple modulators involved in the genetic expression of this immune system in S. Typhi IMSS-1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Leucine-Responsive Regulatory Protein / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Operon*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • Salmonella typhi / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • H-NS protein, bacteria
  • Transcription Factors
  • Leucine-Responsive Regulatory Protein

Associated data

  • GENBANK/HQ655820