title: Growth phase-regulated expression of bolA and morphology of stationary-phase Escherichia coli cells are controlled by the novel sigma factor sigma S.
abstract: The novel sigma factor (sigma S) encoded by rpoS (katF) is required for induction of many growth phase-regulated genes and expression of a variety of stationary-phase phenotypes in Escherichia coli. Here we demonstrate that wild-type cells exhibit spherical morphology in stationary phase, whereas rpoS mutant cells remain rod shaped and are generally larger. Size reduction of E. coli cells along the growth curve is a continuous and at least biphasic process, the second phase of which is absent in rpoS-deficient cells and correlates with induction of the morphogene bolA in wild-type cells. Stationary-phase induction of bolA is dependent on sigma S. The "gearbox" a characteristic sequence motif present in the sigma S-dependent growth phase- and growth rate-regulated bolAp1 promoter, is not recognized by sigma S, since stationary-phase induction of the mcbA promoter, which also contains a gearbox, does not require sigma S, and other sigma S-controlled promoters do not contain gearboxes. However, good homology to the potential -35 and -10 consensus sequences for sigma S regulation is found in the bolAp1 promoter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hengge-Aronis
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C069567:sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D001616:beta-Galactosidase