Involvement of the Leucine Response Transcription Factor LeuO in Regulation of the Genes for Sulfa Drug Efflux

LeuO, a LysR family transcription factor, exists in a wide variety of bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae and is involved in the regulation of as yet unidentified genes affecting the stress response and pathogenesis expression. Using genomic screening by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) in vitro, a total of 106 DNA sequences were isolated from 12 different regions of the Escherichia coli genome. All of the SELEX fragments formed complexes in vitro with purified LeuO. After Northern blot analysis of the putative target genes located downstream of the respective LeuO-binding sequence, a total of nine genes were found to be activated by LeuO, while three genes were repressed by LeuO. The LeuO target gene collection included several multidrug resistance genes. A phenotype microarray assay was conducted to identify the gene(s) responsible for drug resistance and the drug species that are under the control of the LeuO target gene(s). The results described herein indicate that the yjcRQP operon, one of the LeuO targets, is involved in sensitivity control against sulfa drugs. We propose to rename the yjcRQP genes the sdsRQP genes (sulfa drug sensitivity determinant).