The role of H-NS in one carbon metabolism

The H-NS protein of Escherichia coli regulates the expression of genes involved in many general processes such as osmoregulation and virulence. More recently, H-NS was shown to exert an effect on ilvIH gene expression in conjunction with the leucine responsive regulatory protein (Lrp). We show that H-NS is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the kbl/tdh operon, which is also Lrp regulated. Insertional inactivation of the hns gene results in two-fold derepression of the kbl/tdh operon. This level of expression is sufficient to suppress the auxotrophic requirements imposed by a glyA mutation. We show that expression of the kbl/tdh operon is temperature controlled and that this control is not mediated through H-NS action as has been shown for some other temperature controlled genes.