Regulation of PTS gene expression by the homologous transcriptional regulators, Mlc and NagC, in Escherichia coli (or how two similar repressors can behave differently).

NagC and Mlc are paralogous transcriptional repressors in E.coli. Unexpectedly they possess almost identical amino acid sequences in their helix-turn-helix (H-T-H), DNA binding motif and they bind to very similar consensus operator targets. Binding to each others sites can be demonstrated in vitro but no cross regulation can be detected in vivo with physiological amounts of the two proteins. Although both proteins are involved in regulating the expression of PTS genes, the characteristics of their repression and induction are very different. NagC is a dual-function, activator-repressor which co-ordinates the metabolism of the amino sugars, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucosamine, by repressing the divergent nagE-BA operons and by activating the glmUS operon. Repression (and activation) by NagC requires that NagC binds simultaneously to two operators, thus forming a DNA loop. This chelation effect allows use of lower affinity sites which would not individually bind the repressor. The specific inducer for NagC is GlcNAc-6-P, the product of GlcNAc transport by the PTS and a key compound in amino sugar metabolism. Mlc represses several genes implicated in the uptake of glucose; ptsG, ptsHI and manXYZ, and malT, the activator of the mal regulon. Glucose behaves like the inducer but growth on glucose only produces an overall increase in expression for ptsG and ptsHI. All Mlc repressed genes are also controlled by cAMP/CAP, so that glucose affects their transcription in two opposing ways: increasing expression by acting as the inducer for Mlc but decreasing expression by lowering the cAMP/CAP concentration. The Mlc protein is not directly responsive to glucose per se but to the activity status of the PTS. Displacement of Mlc from its binding sites occurs during growth on glucose and other PTS sugars and involves sequestration of the repressor to membranes by binding to dephosphorylated PtsG.