The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase
Glutamine synthetase (GS) features prominently in bacterial nitrogen assimilation as it catalyzes the entry of bioavailable nitrogen in form of ammonium into cellular metabolism. The classic example, the comprehensively characterized GS of enterobacteria, is subject to exquisite regulation at multip...
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MDPI AG
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/8/4/52 |
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| author | Paul Bolay M. Isabel Muro-Pastor Francisco J. Florencio Stephan Klähn |
| author_facet | Paul Bolay M. Isabel Muro-Pastor Francisco J. Florencio Stephan Klähn |
| author_sort | Paul Bolay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glutamine synthetase (GS) features prominently in bacterial nitrogen assimilation as it catalyzes the entry of bioavailable nitrogen in form of ammonium into cellular metabolism. The classic example, the comprehensively characterized GS of enterobacteria, is subject to exquisite regulation at multiple levels, among them gene expression regulation to control GS abundance, as well as feedback inhibition and covalent modifications to control enzyme activity. Intriguingly, the GS of the ecologically important clade of cyanobacteria features fundamentally different regulatory systems to those of most prokaryotes. These include the interaction with small proteins, the so-called inactivating factors (IFs) that inhibit GS linearly with their abundance. In addition to this protein interaction-based regulation of GS activity, cyanobacteria use alternative elements to control the synthesis of GS and IFs at the transcriptional level. Moreover, cyanobacteria evolved unique RNA-based regulatory mechanisms such as glutamine riboswitches to tightly tune IF abundance. In this review, we aim to outline the current knowledge on the distinctive features of the cyanobacterial GS encompassing the overall control of its activity, sensing the nitrogen status, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, as well as strain-specific differences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:32:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36bd0a8a42d94d0b906cc0399411203e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:32:07Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
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| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-36bd0a8a42d94d0b906cc0399411203e2022-12-22T04:23:44ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292018-10-01845210.3390/life8040052life8040052The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine SynthetasePaul Bolay0M. Isabel Muro-Pastor1Francisco J. Florencio2Stephan Klähn3Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Solar Materials, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, GermanyInstituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092 Seville, SpainInstituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092 Seville, SpainHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Solar Materials, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, GermanyGlutamine synthetase (GS) features prominently in bacterial nitrogen assimilation as it catalyzes the entry of bioavailable nitrogen in form of ammonium into cellular metabolism. The classic example, the comprehensively characterized GS of enterobacteria, is subject to exquisite regulation at multiple levels, among them gene expression regulation to control GS abundance, as well as feedback inhibition and covalent modifications to control enzyme activity. Intriguingly, the GS of the ecologically important clade of cyanobacteria features fundamentally different regulatory systems to those of most prokaryotes. These include the interaction with small proteins, the so-called inactivating factors (IFs) that inhibit GS linearly with their abundance. In addition to this protein interaction-based regulation of GS activity, cyanobacteria use alternative elements to control the synthesis of GS and IFs at the transcriptional level. Moreover, cyanobacteria evolved unique RNA-based regulatory mechanisms such as glutamine riboswitches to tightly tune IF abundance. In this review, we aim to outline the current knowledge on the distinctive features of the cyanobacterial GS encompassing the overall control of its activity, sensing the nitrogen status, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, as well as strain-specific differences.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/8/4/52nitrogen assimilationcyanobacteriaglutamine synthetase inactivating factorsglutamine riboswitchesnon-coding RNAs |
| spellingShingle | Paul Bolay M. Isabel Muro-Pastor Francisco J. Florencio Stephan Klähn The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase Life nitrogen assimilation cyanobacteria glutamine synthetase inactivating factors glutamine riboswitches non-coding RNAs |
| title | The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase |
| title_full | The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase |
| title_fullStr | The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase |
| title_short | The Distinctive Regulation of Cyanobacterial Glutamine Synthetase |
| title_sort | distinctive regulation of cyanobacterial glutamine synthetase |
| topic | nitrogen assimilation cyanobacteria glutamine synthetase inactivating factors glutamine riboswitches non-coding RNAs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/8/4/52 |
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