The 2-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(2)-Ia] in Providencia stuartii has a dual function where it is involved in the acetylation of peptidoglycan and certain aminoglycosides. A search for negative regulators of the aac(2)-Ia gene has resulted in the identification of aarC. A missense allele (aarC1) resulted in an 8.9-fold increase in ␤-galactosidase accumulation from an aac(2)-lacZ transcriptional fusion. Northern blot analysis demonstrated an increase in aac(2)-Ia mRNA accumulation that was specific to cells at high density. In addition, the aarC1 allele also resulted in a substantial increase in the expression of aarP, a transcriptional activator of the aac(2)-Ia gene. The wild-type aarC gene was isolated by complementation and encodes a predicted protein of 365 amino acids with a molecular mass of 39,815 Da. The predicted AarC protein exhibited 88% amino acid homology to the previously identified GcpE protein of Escherichia coli and 86% homology to a gene product from Haemophilus influenzae. The E. coli gcpE gene was able to functionally complement the aarC1 allele in P. stuartii. The aarC1 allele was identified as a T to G transversion that resulted in a valine to glycine substitution at position 136 in the AarC protein.The aarC gene appears to be essential for cell viability as construction of a disrupted copy (aarC::lacZ) was possible only in cells that carried an episomal copy of aarC or gcpE.

A recessive mutation, aarG1, has been identified that resulted in an 18-fold increase in the expression of beta-galactosidase from an aac(2')-lacZ fusion. Transcriptional fusions and Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the aarG1 allele also resulted in a large increase in the expression of aarP, a gene encoding a transcriptional activator of aac(2')-Ia. The effects of aarG1 on aac(2')-Ia expression were mediated by aarP-dependent and -independent mechanisms. The aarG1 allele also resulted in a multiple antibiotic resistance (Mar) phenotype, which included increased chloramphenicol, tetracycline and fluoroquinolone resistance. This Mar phenotype also resulted from aarP-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Sequence analysis of the aarG locus revealed the presence of two open reading frames, designated aarR and aarG, organized in tandem. The putative AarR protein displayed 75% amino acid identity to the response regulator PhoP, and the AarG protein displayed 57% amino acid identity to the sensor kinase PhoQ. The aarG1 mutation, a C to T substitution, resulted in a threonine to isoleucine substitution at position 279 (T279I) in the putative sensor kinase. The AarG product was functionally similar to PhoQ, as it was able to restore wild-type levels of maganin resistance to a Salmonella typhimurium phoQ mutant. However, expression of the aarP and aac(2')-Ia genes was not significantly affected by the levels of Mg2+ or Ca2+, suggesting that aarG senses a signal other than divalent cations.

The chromosomal aac(2')-Ia gene in Providencia stuartii encodes a housekeeping 2'-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(2')-Ia] involved in the acetylation of peptidoglycan. In addition, the AAC(2')-Ia enzyme also acetylates and confers resistance to the clinically important aminoglycoside antibiotics gentamicin, tobramycin, and netilmicin. Expression of the aac(2')-Ia gene was found to be strongly influenced by cell density, with a sharp decrease in aac(2')-Ia mRNA accumulation as cells approached stationary phase. This decrease was mediated by the accumulation of an extracellular factor, designated AR (for acetyltransferase repressing)-factor. AR-factor was produced in both minimal and rich media and acted in a manner that was strongly dose dependent. The activity of AR-factor was also pH dependent, with optimal activity at pH 8.0 and above. Biochemical characterization of conditioned media from P. stuartii has shown that AR-factor is between 500 and 1,000 Da in molecular size and is heat stable. In addition, AR-factor was inactivated by a variety of proteases, suggesting that it may be a small peptide.