Identification and in vivo functional analysis of a virginiamycin S resistance gene (varS) from Streptomyces virginiae

J Bacteriol. 1999 May;181(10):3293-7. doi: 10.1128/JB.181.10.3293-3297.1999.

Abstract

BarA of Streptomyces virginiae is a specific receptor protein for virginiae butanolide (VB), one of the gamma-butyrolactone autoregulators of the Streptomyces species, and acts as a transcriptional regulator controlling both virginiamycin production and VB biosynthesis. The downstream gene barB, the transcription of which is under the tight control of the VB-BarA system, was found to be transcribed as a polycistronic mRNA with its downstream region, and DNA sequencing revealed a 1,554-bp open reading frame (ORF) beginning at 161 bp downstream of the barB termination codon. The ORF product showed high homology (68 to 73%) to drug efflux proteins having 14 transmembrane segments and was named varS (for S. virginiae antibiotic resistance). Heterologous expression of varS with S. lividans as a host resulted in virginiamycin S-specific resistance, suggesting that varS encoded a virginiamycin S-specific transport protein. Northern blot analysis indicated that the bicistronic transcript of barB-varS appeared 1 to 2 h before the onset of virginiamycin M1 and S production, at which time VB was produced, while exogenously added virginiamycin S apparently induced the monocistronic varS transcript.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives
  • 4-Butyrolactone / biosynthesis
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / biosynthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Transport
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Genes / genetics
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Open Reading Frames / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Streptomyces / drug effects*
  • Streptomyces / genetics
  • Streptomyces / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Transformation, Bacterial
  • Virginiamycin / biosynthesis
  • Virginiamycin / metabolism
  • Virginiamycin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • varS protein, Streptomyces virginiae
  • Virginiamycin
  • 4-Butyrolactone

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB019519