A serine protease-encoding gene (aprII) of Alteromonas sp. Strain O-7 is regulated by the iron uptake regulator (Fur) protein.

The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) box-like sequence was located upstream of the serine protease-encoding gene (aprII) from a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. strain O-7. To clarify whether the production of AprII (the gene product of aprII) is regulated by the environmental iron concentrations, this strain was cultured under iron-depleted or iron-rich conditions and the level of AprII in the culture supernatant was analyzed by Western blotting. The production of AprII was significantly repressed under iron-rich conditions. Northern hybridization analysis demonstrated that AprII biosynthesis was regulated by iron through the control of transcription. These results indicate that aprII is a new member of the iron regulon and plays an important role in the iron acquisition system of the strain. Furthermore, the gene encoding Fur was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cloned Fur showed high sequence similarity with that from gram-negative bacteria.