Universität zu Köln 

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Krämer

Institut für Biochemie, Universität zu Köln
email: r.kraemer@uni-koeln.de
phone: +49-(0)221 470 6461
website

Prof. Dr. Andreas Burkovski

Department für Biologie, Universität Erlangen
(formerly: Institut für Biochemie,, Universität zu Köln)
email: aburkov@biologie.uni-erlangen.de
phone: +49-(0)9131 852-8086
website

Running time: 2003 – 2007

Abstract

PII-type signal transduction proteins play a central role in nitrogen regulation in numerous bacteria. In response to the intracellular nitrogen status these proteins are switched in their function and interaction with other proteins by modification/demodification, i.e. by phosphorylation or uridylylation. Besides the fact that GlnK (the only PII-type protein in Corynebacterium glutamicum) is, similar to PII from Escherichia coli, uridylylated in response to nitrogen starvation, we discovered that this protein is proteolytically processed, i.e. degraded, in response to an ammonium pulse following a nitrogen starvation period. Using genetic and biochemical tools we will investigate the mechanism of this type of regulation, and the relevance of proteolytic modification with respect to nitrogen control. We will identify and characterise the so far unknown protease(s) responsible for this new regulation mechanism.??

Publications resulting from the project:

Gebert, J., Radde, N., Faigle, U., Strösser, J., and Burkovski, A. (2009). Modeling and simulation of nitrogen regulation in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Discr. Appl. Math. 157, Issue 10.

Walter, B., Küspert, M., Ansorge, A., Krämer, R., and Burkovski, A. (2008). Dissection of ammonium uptake systems in Corynebacterium glutamicum: mechanism and energetics of AmtA and AmtB. J. Bacteriol. 190, 2611-2614.?

Amon, J., Lüdke, A., Titgemeyer, F., and Burkovski, A. (2008). General and regulatory proteolysis in corynebacteria. In: Burkovski, A. (ed.) Corynebacteria: genomics and molecular biology. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK, pp. 295-311. (review)

Hänßler, E., and Burkovski, A. (2008). Molecular mechanisms of nitrogen control in corynebacteria. In: Burkovski, A. (ed.) Corynebacteria: genomics and molecular biology. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK, pp. 183-201. (review)

Walter, B., Hänßler, E., Kalinowski, J., and Burkovski, A. (2007). Nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen control in corynebacteria: variations of a common theme. J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 12, 131-138.?

Burkovski, A. (2007). Nitrogen control in Corynebacterium glutamicum: proteins, mechanisms, signals. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 17, 187-94.?

Lüdke, A., Krämer, R., Burkovski, A., Schluesener, D., and Poetsch, A. (2007). A proteomic study of Corynebacterium glutamicum AAA+ protease FtsH. BMC Microbiol. 25, 6.?

Burkovski, A. (2007). Nitrogen control in Corynebacterium glutamicum: proteins, mechanisms, signals. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 17(2), 187-94. (review)

Müller, T., Strösser, J., Buchinger, S., Nolden, L., Wirtz, A., Krämer, R., and Burkovski, A. (2006). Mutation-induced metabolite pool alterations in Corynebacterium glutamicum: towards the identification of nitrogen control signals. J. Biotechnol. 126, 440-453.?

Beckers, G., Strösser, J., Hildebrandt, U., Kalinowski, J., Farwick, M., Krämer, R., and Burkovski, A. (2005). Regulation of AmtR-controlled gene expression in Corynebacterium glutamicum: mechanism and characterization of the AmtR regulon. Mol. Microbiol. 58, 580-595.?

Burkovski, A. (2005). Nitrogen metabolism and its regulation. In: Bott, M., and Eggeling, L. (eds.) Handbook of Corynebacterium glutamicum. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL., 333-349.

Burkovski, A. (2005). Nitrogen metabolism and its regulation. In: Bott, M., and Eggeling, L. (eds.) Handbook of Corynebacterium glutamicum. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL., 333-349.

Strösser, J., Lüdke, A., Schaffer, S., Krämer, R., and Burkovski, A. (2004). Regulation of GlnK activity: modification, membrane sequestration, and proteolysis as regulatory principles in the network of nitrogen control in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Mol. Microbiol. 54, 132-147.?

Burkovski, A. (2003). Ammonium assimilation and nitrogen control in Corynebacterium glutamicum and its relatives: a new type of regulation in actinomycetes. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 27, 617-628.?