The Bacillus subtilis DinR Binding Site: Redefinition of the Consensus Sequence

Recently, the DinR protein was established as the cellular repressor of the SOS response in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. It is believed that DinR functions as the repressor by binding to a consensus sequence located in the promoter region of each SOS gene. The binding site for DinR is believed to be synonymous with the formerly identified Cheo box, a region of 12 bp displaying dyad symmetry (GAAC-N(4)-GTTC). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that highly purified DinR does bind to such sites located upstream of the dinA, dinB, dinC, and dinR genes. Furthermore, detailed mutational analysis of the B. subtilis recA operator indicates that some nucleotides are more important than others for maintaining efficient DinR binding. For example, nucleotide substitutions immediately 5′ and 3′ of the Cheo box as well as those in the N(4) region appear to affect DinR binding. This data, combined with computational analyses of potential binding sites in other gram-positive organisms, yields a new consensus (DinR box) of 5′-CGAACRNRYGTTYC-3′. DNA footprint analysis of the B. subtilis dinR and recA DinR boxes revealed that the DinR box is centrally located within a DNA region of 31 bp that is protected from hydroxyl radical cleavage in the presence of DinR. Furthermore, while DinR is predominantly monomeric in solution, it apparently binds to the DinR box in a dimeric state.