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Transcriptional regulation and structural modeling of the FutC subunit of an ABC-type iron transporter in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803

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Abstract

The futC gene encodes a subunit of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-type iron transporter in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. In the present study, we have focused on the environmental regulation of futC transcription in the model organism Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 and, moreover, studied the transcriptional regulation of the other transporter subunits, futA1, futA2 and futB. The steady-state amounts of the futA1, futA2, futB and futC transcripts were regulated under several conditions studied including darkness, temperature, alternative nitrogen source, salt and osmotic stresses and iron deficiency. Transcription of all subunits of the FutABC-iron transporter seems to be under similar regulation, which, according to our results, may also apply to genes encoding subunits of other transporters in Synechocystis. The sequence alignment, including sequences from six different organisms, revealed the conserved nature of FutC. Based on the sequence alignment and the structural model of FutC, the monomer consists of a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and a regulatory domain. The NBD is well conserved indicating completely functional ATP binding.

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Abbreviations

ABC-type transporter:

ATP-binding cassette transporter

OD730:

Optical density at 730 nm

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Mark Johnson for the excellent facilities provided at the Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory at the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University. This work was supported by the National Graduate School of Informational and Structural Biology, Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation and Åbo Akademi Foundation to AMB, the Thailand Research Fund through the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program, the 90th Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University Fund (Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund), and the Commission for Higher Education, Thailand (the university staff development consortium) to WR and AI, Tor, Joe and Pentti Borgs Memorial Fund and Sigrid Jusélius Foundation to TAS, the Academy of Finland to PMä (203352) and PMu (110099), and Centre for International Mobility, CIMO scholarship to WR and PMä.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Wuttinun Raksajit, Paula Mulo & Pirkko Mäenpää

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University, 20520, Turku, Finland

    Anna-Maria Brandt & Tiina A. Salminen

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Wuttinun Raksajit & Aran Incharoensakdi

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  1. Anna-Maria Brandt
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  2. Wuttinun Raksajit
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  3. Paula Mulo
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  4. Aran Incharoensakdi
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  5. Tiina A. Salminen
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  6. Pirkko Mäenpää
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Correspondence to Pirkko Mäenpää.

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Communicated by Mary M. Allen.

A. -M. Brandt, W. Raksajit, T. A. Salminen and P. Mäenpää contributed equally to this work.

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Brandt, AM., Raksajit, W., Mulo, P. et al. Transcriptional regulation and structural modeling of the FutC subunit of an ABC-type iron transporter in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Arch Microbiol 191, 561–570 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-009-0482-y

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