The Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 ManR and a homologous protein of MntH were identified by BLAST search. Recombinant ManR protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by an immobilized metal (Ni) affinity chromatography. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that ManR specifically bound to the promoter region of the mntH gene. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the specific recognition site for ManR is TATGAAAAGAATATGAGAA, which is composed of two direct repeats of the consensus sequence (T/A)ATGA(G/A)A(A/G). This is a novel regulatory DNA motif in cyanobacteria, indicating that the expression of mntH was regulated by a two-component Mn2+-Sensing System containing ManR in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. To date, this specific pathway of regulating mntH expression has only been found in cyanobacteria. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.