Expression of the csp protein family upon cold shock and production of tetracycline in Streptomyces aureofaciens

A shift down in temperature causes in Streptomyces aureofaciens a transient repression of polypeptide synthesis. During the acclimation phase 32 prote ins were synthesized. The addition of tetracycline (200 mu g/ml) to cells f rom exponential phase of growth leads to induction of 27 novel proteins and 17 upregulated proteins migrated in 2-D gel as proteins expressed upon col d shock. Immunoblot analysis using antibodies raised against CspB, CspC, an d CspD of Bacillus subtilis revealed five cross-reactive proteins of the Cs p family. Proteins CspB and CspD are predominantly induced at low temperatu re or by the presence of tetracycline. Expression of Csp proteins during th e acclimation phase is regulated on the transcription level. Proteins of th e Csp family have been shown to be associated with ribosomes and can be rem oved by 1 M. NH,CI. As expression of Csp proteins differs during developmen t or temperature shift down, these proteins can be considered as trans-acti ng factors to form contacts with the coding region of specific mRNAs. (C) 1 999 Academic Press.