Carbon dioxide as a regulator of gene expression in microorganisms

CO2 regulates gene expression across a diverse group of microorganisms including fungi, and both photosynthetic and non photosynthetic bacteria. The processes that CO2 regulates are diverse. Several CO2-responsive random promoter lacZ fusions of unknown function have been isolated from a marine Synechococcus and a Pseudoalteromonas sp., highlighting the wide effect of CO2 control in these organisms. Regulatory proteins have been described that mediate the CO2 response at transcription level in Bacillus anthracis, the group A streptococci and two Rhodobacter spp. These regulatory proteins include: AcpA and AtxA that are involved in CO2 control of B. anthracis capsule and toxin production; Mga that regulates surface associated virulence factors in the group A streptococci; and RegB/A, a two component signal transduction system that responds to environmental stimuli including CO2, to regulate photosynthetic apparatus and CO2 fixation enzyme synthesis in Rhodobacter spp.