Unbalanced phospholipid composition of Escherichia coli membranes affects P_PHO promoter activity

The activity of phosphatase P-PHO or arabinose P-BAD promoters of Escherichia coli has been studied as dependent on the content of zwitterionic phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and anionic phospholipids in membranes. In the absence of PE or upon a significant decrease in the content of anionic phospholipids, the activity of the P-PHO promoter (but not that of the P-BAD promoter) was inhibited. Since the P-PHO promoter belongs to the Pho regulon, a member of the family of two-component regulatory systems of signal transduction that have membrane sensors, the regulation of gene expression by phospholipids is presumed to be accomplished through a membrane sensor.