The Vitamin B12-Dependent Photoreceptor AerR Relieves Photosystem Gene Repression by Extending the Interaction of CrtJ with Photosystem Promoters

ABSTRACT Purple nonsulfur bacteria adapt their physiology to a wide variety of environmental conditions often through the control of transcription. One of the main transcription factors involved in controlling expression of the Rhodobacter capsulatus photosystem is CrtJ, which functions as an aerobic repressor of photosystem genes. Recently, we reported that a vitamin B12 binding antirepressor of CrtJ called AerR is required for anaerobic expression of the photosystem. However, the mechanism whereby AerR regulates CrtJ activity is unclear. In this study, we used a combination of next-generation sequencing and biochemical methods to globally identify genes under control of CrtJ and the role of AerR in controlling this regulation. Our results indicate that CrtJ has a much larger regulon than previously known, with a surprising regulatory function under both aerobic and anaerobic photosynthetic growth conditions. A combination of in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation-DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) and ChIP-seq and exonuclease digestion (ChIP-exo) studies and in vitro biochemical studies demonstrate that AerR forms a 1:2 complex with CrtJ (AerR-CrtJ2) and that this complex binds to many promoters under photosynthetic conditions. The results of in vitro and in vivo DNA binding studies indicate that AerR-CrtJ2 anaerobically forms an extended interaction with the bacteriochlorophyll bchC promoter to relieve repression by CrtJ. This is contrasted by aerobic growth conditions where CrtJ alone functions as an aerobic repressor of bchC expression. These results indicate that the DNA binding activity of CrtJ is modified by interacting with AerR in a redox-regulated manner and that this interaction alters CrtJ’s function. IMPORTANCE Photoreceptors control a wide range of physiology often by regulating downstream gene expression in response to light absorption via a bound chromophore. Different photoreceptors are known to utilize a number of different compounds for light absorption, including the use of such compounds as flavins, linearized tetrapyrroles (bilins), and carotenoids. Recently, a novel class of photoreceptors that use vitamin B12 (cobalamin) as a blue-light-absorbing chromophore have been described. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism by which the vitamin B12 binding photoreceptor AerR controls the DNA binding activity of the photosystem regulator CrtJ. This study shows that a direct interaction between the vitamin B12 binding photoreceptor AerR with CrtJ modulates CrtJ binding to DNA and importantly, the regulatory outcome of gene expression, as shown here with photosystem promoters. Photoreceptors control a wide range of physiology often by regulating downstream gene expression in response to light absorption via a bound chromophore. Different photoreceptors are known to utilize a number of different compounds for light absorption, including the use of such compounds as flavins, linearized tetrapyrroles (bilins), and carotenoids. Recently, a novel class of photoreceptors that use vitamin B12 (cobalamin) as a blue-light-absorbing chromophore have been described. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism by which the vitamin B12 binding photoreceptor AerR controls the DNA binding activity of the photosystem regulator CrtJ. This study shows that a direct interaction between the vitamin B12 binding photoreceptor AerR with CrtJ modulates CrtJ binding to DNA and importantly, the regulatory outcome of gene expression, as shown here with photosystem promoters.