Effects of the Pleiotropic Gene csrA on Glycogen Metabolism in Escherichia Coli

Yang, Honghui, Effects of the pleiotropic gene csrA on glycogen metabolism in Escherichia coli. Master of Science (Biomedical Sciences), June, 1995, 78 pp., 3 tables, 17 illustrations, bibliography, 59 titles. The csrA gene negatively regulates the expression of four genes glgB, glgC, glgA and glgS involved in glycogen synthesis. It also negatively regulates glgY, which encodes the enzyme glycogen phoshorylase involved in glycogen degradation, but no effect was observed on the glycogen debranching enzyme in this pathway. In addition, csrA exhibits a positive effect on the glycolytic enzyme triosephosphate isomerase. No significant effects were observed on the expression of two genes (zwf & gnd) participating in the pentose phosphate pathway. In vitro expression of glgB, glgC and glgA was specifically inhibited by cell extracts containing the csrA gene product (CsrA). This study provides evidence that csrA encodes an important regulator of intermediary carbon metabolism in Escherichia coli.