Transcription of glutamine synthetase genes (glnA and glnN) from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is differently regulated in response to nitrogen availability

. 1997 Apr;179(8):2678–2689. doi: 10.1128/jb.179.8.2678-2689.1997J C Reyes1, M I Muro-Pastor1, F J Florencio1PMCID: PMC179018PMID: 9098067AbstractIn the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 we have previously reported the presence of two different proteins with glutamine synthetase activity: GSI, encoded by the glnA gene, and GSIII, encoded by the glnN gene. In this work we show that expression of both the glnA and glnN genes is subjected to transcriptional regulation in response to changes in nitrogen availability. Northern blot experiments and transcriptional fusions demonstrated that the glnA gene is highly transcribed in nitrate- or ammonium-grown cells and exhibits two- to fourfold-higher expression in nitrogen-starved cells. In contrast, the glnN gene is highly expressed only under nitrogen deficiency. Half-lives of both mRNAs, calculated after addition of rifampin or ammonium to nitrogen-starved cells, were not significantly different (2.5 or 3.4 min, respectively, f...