title: Characterization of the rcsA and rcsB genes from Salmonella typhi: rcsB through tviA is involved in regulation of Vi antigen synthesis.
abstract: Synthesis of Vi antigen, a capsular polysaccharide expressed by Salmonella typhi, is controlled by the viaA and viaB chromosomal loci. It was previously shown that Vi antigen expression was regulated by a system similar to the rcs regulatory system involved in colanic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. We have cloned the rcsA, rcsB, and rcsC genes from S. typhi. The predicted amino sequences of the RcsA and RcsB proteins showed a high degree of similarity to their E. coli homologs. The nucleotide sequence of the rcsC gene was partially determined and was shown to be homologous to that of its E. coli counterpart. Complementation experiments indicated that rcsB and rcsC were encompassed within the viaA locus. The RcsA protein was not involved in Vi antigen synthesis. In contrast, the RcsB protein acted as a positive regulator of Vi polysaccharide expression. By mRNA and gene fusion analyses, we studied the role of RcsB and TviA, a via-B-encoded regulatory protein characterized previously, in regulating Vi antigen synthesis. The transcriptional start point of tviA mRNA was not influenced by RcsB or TviA. In the absence of RcsB or TviA protein, transcription of tviA gave rise to only a monocistronic tviA-specific mRNA. The presence of RcsB and TriA not only increased the amount of monocistronic tviA-specific mRNA but also resulted in countranscription of tviA and tviB, which is located immediately downstream of tviA on the viaB locus. In addition, TviA protein did not appear to be subject to degradation by the Lon protease. These results strongly suggest that TviA might act in concert with RcsB at the tviA promoter to activate transcription of the genes involved in Vi polymer synthesis in S. typhi in a Lon-independent manner.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Entérobactéries, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Virlogeux
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waxin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ecobichon
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Popoff
mesh_terms: D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D049070:Protease La; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C489568:RcsB protein, E coli; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C098634:tviA protein, Salmonella typhi; C074889:RcsB protein, Bacteria; C067572:RcsA protein, E coli; D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C483567:Lon protein, E coli; D049070:Protease La