Negative regulation of DNA repair gene (uvrA) expression by ArcA/ArcB two-component system in Escherichia coli

The ArcA/ArcB two-component signal transduction system of Escherichia coli regulates gene expression in response to the redox conditions of growth. In this study, uvrA gene expression was repressed when ArcA was induced in E. coli. Transcription of uvrA increased in ΔarcA and ΔarcB strains more than in the wild-type strain, whose trend was remarkable under the anaerobic condition. In the wild-type strain grown in the presence of DTT (10 mM), the uvrA gene expression was also repressed. Furthermore, the results of in vitro transcription and DNase I footprinting experiments indicated that ArcA specifically bound to the ArcA box [(A/T)GTTAATTA(A/T)] in the uvrA promoter and represses its transcription. These results suggest that the ArcA/ArcB two-component system works to negatively regulate uvrA gene expression.