Environmental sulfur sensing by sulfite signaling, and control mechanism of sulfur assimilation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26450091
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba (2016); Nara Institute of Science and Technology (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: OHTSU Iwao 筑波大学, 国際産学連携本部, 准教授 (60395655)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 硫黄同化経路 / チオ硫酸イオン / 亜硫酸イオン / 硫化水素 / 大腸菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We report the identification of a novel regulation system of sulfite (SO3) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production in E. coli. We have measured the capacity of H2S generation in the medium containing glucose, and showed that glucose limitation induces abundant production of H2S from E. coli cells. No requirement of cysteine degradation for this inducible H2S generation because effect of deletion of genes involved cysteine degradation is negligible. Experiments using minimal synthetic medium containing inorganic sulfur compounds as a sulfur source revealed that the H2S is produced by assimilation of thiosulfate, but not by sulfate. We also found that Crp is required for the H2S production to response in glucose limitation. These results indicates that, in E. coli, carbon and sulfur metabolism are likely to be coordinately controlled by sensing starvation for nutrients.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学