A single mutation in the oprF mRNA leader confers strict translational control by the Gac/Rsm system in Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0

Curr Microbiol. 2009 Feb;58(2):182-8. doi: 10.1007/s00284-008-9306-6. Epub 2008 Nov 1.

Abstract

The rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 is able to antagonize fungal phytopathogens on a variety of crop plants, mainly due to the production of secondary metabolites that are coordinately upregulated by the global regulatory Gac/Rsm cascade. The two-component system GacS/GacA activates transcription of the three small regulatory RNAs RsmX, RsmY, and RsmZ, which counteract translational repression of target mRNAs by RsmA and RsmE proteins. In a search for novel Gac/Rsm targets based on the minimal sequence on mRNA leaders required for RsmA/RsmE control, the leader region of the major porin OprF emerged as a candidate. Although an isogenic CHA0 oprF mutant showed a reduced ability to attach to cucumber and tomato roots, suggesting a role for OprF in root colonization as a requisite for pathogen antagonism, a translational oprF'-'lacZ fusion was weakly regulated by Gac/Rsm despite its high sequence similarity to the hcnA leader. A single base substitution put the modified oprF 5'-UTR under strict control by Gac/Rsm. The results highlight the subtle sequence requirements of Gac/Rsm targets.

MeSH terms

  • 5' Untranslated Regions*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Point Mutation*
  • Protein Biosynthesis*
  • Pseudomonas fluorescens / chemistry
  • Pseudomonas fluorescens / genetics*
  • Pseudomonas fluorescens / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / chemistry
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA, Untranslated / chemistry
  • RNA, Untranslated / genetics
  • RNA, Untranslated / metabolism

Substances

  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Untranslated