PAO1-psrA::Tn expression compared to PAO1 in LB

b-Oxidative enzymes for fatty acid degradation (Fad) of long-chain fatty acid (LCFA), a component of lung surfactant phosphatidylcholine, are induced in vivo during lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients, which could contribute to nutrient acquisition and pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, fatty acid biosynthesis (Fab) is essential for the syntheses of two virulence controlling acylated-homoserine-lactone molecules in this organism. We mapped the promoter regions of the fadBA5-operon (PA3014 and PA3013) and a fadE homologue (PA2815) involved in Fad and the fabAB-operon involved in Fab. Focusing on the transposon mutagenesis of strain PAO1 carrying the PfadBA5-lacZ fusion, we identified a regulator for the fadBA5-operon to be PsrA (PA3006). Transcriptome analysis of the DpsrA mutant indicates its importance in regulating b-oxidative enzymes, which confirms a previous proteomic study. We further showed that induction of the fadBA-operon responds to LCFA signals, and this induction requires the presence of PsrA, suggesting that PsrA binds to LCFA to derepress fadBA5. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay indicate specific binding of PsrA to the fadBA5-promoter region. This binding is disrupted by specific LCFA (C18:1D9, C16:0, and to a lesser extent C14:0), but not by the first intermediate of b-oxidation, acyl-CoA. We proposed that PsrA is a Fad-regulator that binds and responds to LCFA signals in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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Kang Y, Nguyen DT, Son MS, Hoang TT