Requirements for the phosphorylation of the Escherichia coli EIIANtr protein in vivo.

The nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (Ntr-PTS) is a paralogous system working in parallel to the well-known carbohydrate:PTS. In a chain of phosphotransfer reactions, EINtr and NPr (PtsO) deliver phosphoryl groups to the EIIANtr (PtsN) protein. EIIANtr is implicated in important regulatory processes such as the sigmaE-dependent cell envelope stress response and regulation of K+ uptake. Phosphorylation is believed to trigger the output of EIIANtr in these regulations. EIIANtr is encoded within the gene cluster ptsN-yhbJ-ptsO, which is highly conserved in Proteobacteria. In this study, we investigated the phosphorylation of the Escherichia coli EIIANtr protein in vivo by 32P-labeling. We show that EIIANtr is readily phosphorylated in wild-type cells. This phosphorylation occurs at a single site, the histidine 73 in EIIANtr. YhbJ and NPr are dispensable for this phosphorylation. A detailed analysis revealed that both the energy coupling phosphotransferases of the Ntr-PTS as well as the 'sugar'-PTS contribute to the phosphorylation of EIIANtr, suggesting cross talk between both systems.

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