Nucleotide sequence of the uhp region of Escherichia coli.

The Escherichia coli uhp region encodes the transport system that mediates the uptake of a number of sugar phosphates as well as the regulatory components that are responsible for induction of this transport system by external glucose 6-phosphate. Four uhp genes have been identified by analysis of the complementation behavior and polypeptide coding capacity of plasmids carrying subcloned regions or transposon insertions. The nucleotide sequence of a 6.5-kilobase segment that contains the 3' end of the ilvBN operon and the entire uhp region was determined. Four open reading frames were identified in the locations expected for the various uhp genes; all were oriented in the same direction, counterclockwise relative to the genetic map. The properties of the polypeptides predicted from the nucleotide sequence were consistent with their observed features. The 196-amino-acid UhpA polypeptide has the composition characteristic of a soluble protein and bears homology to the DNA-binding regions of many regulatory activators and repressors. The 518-amino-acid UhpB and the 199-amino-acid UhpC regulatory proteins contain substantial segments of hydrophobic character. Similarly, the 463-amino-acid UhpT transporter is a hydrophobic protein with numerous potential transmembrane segments. The UhpC regulatory protein has substantial sequence homology to part of UhpT, suggesting that this regulatory protein might have evolved by duplication of the gene for the transporter and that its role in transmembrane signaling may involve sugar-phosphate-binding sites and transmembrane orientations similar to those of the transport protein.     

Mutation in dipZ leads to reduced production of active human placental alkaline phosphatase in Escherichia coli

Abstract In Escherichia coli , glucose 6-phosphate is transported via the Uhp system which is inducible by glucose 6-phosphate. We showed that, in a uhp -deficient strain, glucose 6-phosphate was dephosphorylated in the periplasm and that the resulting glucose was subsequently transported into the cells via the phosphotransferase system. The uptake of glucose generated from glucose 6-phosphate allowed the bacteria to produce an increased level cAMP compared to cells grown on non-limiting concentrations of glucose.     

UhpT, the sugar phosphate antiporter of Escherichia coli, functions as a monomer

We have characterized the minimal functioning unit of UhpT, the secondary carrier that mediates exchange of phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate in Escherichia coli. Membranes of a UhpT overproducing strain were solubilized with 1.25% octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, in the presence of 0.1% E. coli phospholipid and with 20% glycerol as the osmolyte stabilant. That soluble UhpT could bind its natural substrates was indicated by the protections afforded by sugar phosphates against thermal inactivation or chemical modification with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Moreover, the degree of protection correlated with the strength of interaction between UhpT and the test substrate (2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate = glucose 6-phosphate greater than galactose 6-phosphate = glucose 1-phosphate much greater than glucose 6-sulfate). Other experiments demonstrated that soluble UhpT existed as a monomer. For example, during both high performance liquid chromatography and conventional gel permeation chromatography, the elution pattern of UhpT activity was measured directly by a rapid reconstitution technique. In both cases, and in the presence and absence of substrate, UhpT activity traveled as a single component of Mr 53,000, corresponding closely to the sequence prediction of 50,600. Finally, reconstitution was studied at protein to lipid ratios low enough to achieve between 0.075 and 1.5 UhpT monomers/proteoliposome. Specific activity was constant throughout this range, a finding consistent with the idea of a functional monomer. Mitochondria and chloroplasts provide the only other anion exchange carriers described at this level of biochemical resolution, and these organelle antiporters function as dimers. By contrast, work summarized here places their bacterial counterpart, UhpT, in the same class as the lactose carrier of E. coli and the glucose carrier of the human erythrocyte, both of which function as monomers. Consideration of this pattern in conjunction with the known hydropathy profiles of these proteins suggests a novel scheme for the classification of all secondary carriers, with implications for both the structure and origin of these transport proteins.     

The mechanism of glucose 6-phosphate transport by Escherichia coli

To evaluate anion exchange as the mechanistic basis of sugar phosphate transport, natural and artificial membranes were used in studies of glucose 6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) accumulation by the uhpT-encoded protein (UhpT) of Escherichia coli. Experiments with intact cells demonstrated that UhpT catalyzed the neutral exchange of internal and external Pi, and work with everted as well as right-side-out membrane vesicles showed further that UhpT mediated the heterologous exchange of Pi and Glc-6-P. When loaded with Pi, but not when loaded with morpholinopropanesulfonate (MOPS), everted vesicles took up Glc-6-P to levels 100-fold above medium concentration in a reaction unaffected by the ionophores valinomycin, valinomycin plus nigericin, and carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. Similarly, right-side-out vesicles were capable of Glc-6-P transport, but only if a suitable internal countersubstrate was available. Thus, in MOPS-loaded vesicles, oxidative metabolism established a proton-motive force that supported proline or Pi accumulation, but transport of Glc-6-P was found only if vesicles could accumulate Pi during a preincubation. After reconstitution of UhpT into proteoliposomes it was possible to show as well that the level of accumulation of Glc-6-P (17 to 560 nmol/mg of protein) was related directly to the internal concentration of Pi. These results are most easily understood if the transport of glucose 6-phosphate in E. coli occurs by anion exchange rather than by nH+/anion support.     

uhp-directed, glucose 6-phosphate membrane receptor in Escherichia coli.

Membrane vesicles were characterized for their ability to specifically bind [14C]glucose 6-phosphate. Membranes prepared from a strain carrying a ColE1 uhp hybrid plasmid showed significantly enhanced glucose 6-phosphate binding. It is hypothesized that glucose 6-phosphate binding to these membranes is due to a uhpR-directed, membrane-bound receptor which functions in regulation of the inducible uhpT gene product: the hexose phosphate permease.     

Upstream stimulatory factor (USF) proteins induce human TGF-beta1 gene activation via the glucose-response element-1013/-1002 in mesangial cells: up-regulation of USF activity by the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway

The hyperglycemia-enhanced flux through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) has been implicated in the up-regulated gene expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in mesangial cells, thus leading to mesangial matrix expansion and diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Since the -1013 to -1002 region of the TGF-beta1 promoter shows high homology to glucose-response elements (GlRE) formerly described in genes involved in glucose metabolism, we studied the function of the GlRE in the high glucose-induced TGF-beta1 gene activation in mesangial cells. We found that high glucose concentrations enhanced the nuclear amount of upstream stimulatory factors (USF) and their binding to this sequence. Fusion of the GlRE to the thymidine kinase promoter resulted in glucose responsiveness of this promoter construct. Overexpression of either USF-1 or USF-2 increased TGF-beta1 promoter activity 2-fold, which was prevented by mutation or deletion of the GlRE. The high glucose-induced activation of the GlRE is mediated by the HBP; increased flux through the HBP induced by high glucose concentrations, by glutamine, or by overexpression of the rate-limiting enzyme glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (GFAT) particularly activated USF-2 expression. GFAT-overexpressing cells showed higher USF binding activity to the GlRE and enhanced promoter activation via the GlRE. Increasing O-GlcNAc modification of proteins by streptozotocin, thereby mimicking HBP activation, also resulted in increased mRNA and nuclear protein levels of USF-2, leading to enhanced DNA binding activity to the GlRE. USF proteins themselves were not found to be O-GlcNAc-modified. Thus, we have provided evidence for a new molecular mechanism linking high glucose-enhanced HBP activity with increased nuclear USF protein levels and DNA binding activity and with up-regulated TGF-beta1 promoter activity.