Overexpression, phosphorylation, and growth effects of ORF162, a Klebsiella pneumoniae protein that is encoded by a gene linked to rpoN, the gene encoding δ54

Abstract The product of a Klebsiella pneumoniae gene, orf162 , may regulate δ⁵⁴-dependent transcription and has sequence similarity to proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). We have overproduced the product of orf162 and demonstrated its PTS-dependent phosphorylation in Escherichia coli extracts. We have also observed moderate growth inhibition of a wild-type, but not a δ⁵⁴-mutant, strain by overexpression of orf162 . These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the product of orf162 could be a regulatory link between the PTS and δ⁵⁴ activity in bacteria.