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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Functional Complementation Analysis (FCA): A Laboratory Exercise Designed and Implemented to Supplement the Teaching of Biochemical Pathways
Published on: June 24, 2016
Two-component systems of Corynebacterium glutamicum: deletion analysis and involvement of the PhoS-PhoR system in the
Martina Kocan1, Steffen Schaffer, Takeru Ishige
1Institut für Biotechnologie 1, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany. m.bott@fz-juelich.de.
Abstract:
Corynebacterium glutamicum contains genes for 13 two-component signal transduction systems. In order to test for their essentiality and involvement in the adaptive response to phosphate (Pi) starvation, a set of 12 deletion mutants was constructed. One of the mutants was specifically impaired in its ability to grow under Pi limitation, and therefore the genes lacking in this strain were named phoS (encoding the sensor kinase) and phoR (encoding the response regulator). DNA microarray analyses with the C. glutamicum wild type and the DeltaphoRS mutant supported a role for the PhoRS system in the adaptation to Pi starvation. In contrast to the wild type, the DeltaphoRS mutant did not induce the known Pi starvation-inducible (psi) genes within 1 hour after a shift from Pi excess to Pi limitation, except for the pstSCAB operon, which was still partially induced. This indicates an activator function for PhoR and the existence of at least one additional regulator of the pst operon. Primer extension analysis of selected psi genes (pstS, ugpA, phoR, ushA, and nucH) confirmed the microarray data and provided evidence for positive autoregulation of the phoRS genes.
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