Transcriptional analysis of the cyclopropane fatty acid synthase gene of Lactococcus lactis MG1363 at low pH

Cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (cfa) catalyses the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to unsaturated fatty acids. Northern blot experiments demonstrated that the Lactococcus lactis MG1363 cfa gene is mainly expressed as a bicistronic transcript together with metK, the gene encoding SAM synthetase, and is highly induced by acidity. The cfa promoter was characterized by 5'-RACE PCR, and fused to beta-galactosidase by cloning into the pAK80 plasmid. This transcriptional fusion was highly induced by acidity (23-fold at pH 5) as well as during entry into the stationary phase (8-fold) in L. lactis. Interestingly, the cfa promoter expression is repressed in a L. lactis relA* mutant which accumulates (p)ppGpp, whereas its induction by acidity appeared independent of (p)ppGpp in L. lactis and in Escherichia coli. (c) 2005 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.