A ternary AppA–PpsR–DNA complex mediates light-regulation of photosynthesis-related gene expression

The anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides uses different energy sources depending on environmental conditions including aerobic respiration or, in the absence of oxygen, photosynthesis. Photosynthetic genes are repressed at high oxygen tension, but at intermediate levels their partial expression prepares the organism for using light energy. Illumination, however, enhances repression under semi-aerobic conditions. Here, we describe molecular details of two proteins involved in oxygen- and light-control of photosynthesis gene expression, the light-sensing anti-repressor AppA and the transcriptional repressor PpsR. We combine information from crystal structures of both proteins and their complex with hydrogen-deuterium exchange data to show that light-activation of AppA–PpsR(2) affects the PpsR effector region within the complex. DNA-binding studies demonstrate the formation of a light-sensitive ternary AppA–PpsR–DNA complex. Implications of these results for light- and oxygen-regulation are discussed, highlighting new insights into blue-light-mediated signal transduction.