Regulation of testosterone degradation in Comamonas testosteroni

LINARES, MAURICIO; PRUNEDA-PAZ, JOSÉ LUIS; REYNA, LUCIANA; GENTI-RAIMONDI, SUSANA

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2008 vol. 112 p. 145 - 145

ecently, we have identified a gene encoding a LuxR-type factor, TeiR (Testosterone-inducible Regulator), which positively regulates steroid degradation in Comamonas testosteroni. Herein, we demonstrate that TeiR interacts in vivo with steroid catabolic gene promoters. The presence of testosterone induces a significant TeiR protein increase at the early logarithmic phase of growth. Interestingly, it is not until the early stationary phase where the activation of a steroid-inducible gene promoter is observed, indicating that testosterone might not be the true inductor of the steroid degradation pathway. In addition, β-galactosidase expression driven by a testosterone-inducible promoter is prematurely activated in cells cultured in medium supplemented with ethyl acetate extracts obtained from the early stationary phase cell-free supernatants of C. testosteroni grown in presence of testosterone. Complementation experiments of C. testosteroni wild type performed with teiR deletion con