Work

A Specific Mutation in the Promoter Region of the Silent cel Cluster Accounts for the Appearance of Lactose-Utilizing Lactococcus lactis MG1363

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: The Lactococcus lactis laboratory strain MG1363 has been described to be unable to utilize lactose. However, in a rich medium supplemented with lactose as the sole carbon source, it starts to grow after prolonged incubation periods. Transcriptome analyses showed that L. lactis MG1363 Lac(+) cells expressed celB, encoding a putative cellobiose-specific phosphotransferase system (PTS) IIC component, which is normally silent in MG1363 Lac(-) cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cel cluster of a Lac(+) isolate revealed a change from one of the guanines to adenine in the promoter region. We showed here that one particular mutation, taking place at increased frequency, accounts for the lactose-utilizing phenotype occurring in MG1363 cultures. The G-to-A transition creates a -10 element at an optimal distance from the -35 element. Thus, a fully active promoter is created, allowing transcription of the otherwise cryptic cluster. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy results show that MG1363 Lac(+) uses a novel pathway of lactose utilization.

Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology

DOI: 10.1128/aem.00455-12

Authors: Ana Solopova, Herwig Bachmann, Bas Teusink, Jan Kok, Ana Rute Neves, Oscar P. Kuipers

Institutions: University of Groningen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Award: Understanding preculture-dependent growth and acidification rates of Lactococcus lactis as the result of population heterogeneity