Mutational analysis of the Myxococcus xanthus Ω4499 promoter region reveals shared and unique properties in comparison with other C-signal-dependent promoters

Abstract

The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus undergoes multicellular development during times of nutritional stress and uses extracellular signals to coordinate cell behavior. C-signal affects gene expression late in development, including that of Ω4499, an operon identified by insertion of Tn5 lac into the M. xanthus chromosome. The Ω4499 promoter region has several sequences in common with those found previously to be important for expression of other C-signal-dependent promoters. To determine if these sequences are important for Ω4499 promoter activity, the effects of mutations on expression of a downstream reporter gene were tested in M. xanthus. Although the promoter resembles those recognized by Escherichia coli σ54, mutational analysis implied that a σ70-type σ factor likely recognizes the promoter. A 7-bp sequence known as a C box and a 5-bp element located 6 bp upstream of the C box have been shown to be important for expression of other C-signal-dependent promoters. The Ω4499 promoter region has C boxes centered at -33 and -55 bp, with 5-bp elements located 7 and 8 bp upstream, respectively. A multiple-base-pair mutation in any of these sequences reduced Ω4499 promoter activity more than twofold. Single base-pair mutations in the C box centered at -33 bp yielded a different pattern of effects on expression than similar mutations in other C boxes, indicating that each functions somewhat differently. An element from about -81 to -77 bp exerted a twofold positive effect on expression but did not appear to be responsible for the C-signal dependence of the Ω4499 promoter. Mutations in sigD and sigE, which are genes that encode σ factors, reduced expression from the Ω4499 promoter. The results provide further insight into the regulation of C-signal-dependent genes, demonstrating both shared and unique properties among the promoter regions so far examined.