Control of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilin gene expression by environmental factors: involvement of the pilA/pilB regulatory genes.
The control of the expression of the pilin gene (pilE) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae under a wide variety of growth conditions has been studied. The expression of pilE was measured using transcriptional fusions between pilE and the gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), and the level of pilin production was measured by Western blot analysis. Many of the conditions tested affected both growth rate and pilin gene expression (e.g. isoleucine, high osmolarity, high temperature, anaerobic growth, pH 6, urea and iron depletion). Changes in the level of many other proteins were also observed, depending on the conditions, indicating that gonococci undergo an adaptive response to environmental variations. Moreover, environment-induced changes in the level of many proteins, including pilin, seem to involve the pilA/pilB regulatory system, which has been previously proposed to modulate the expression of the gonococcal pilin gene.
Larribe
Mireille
M
Unitée des Neisseria, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Taha
Muhamed-Kheir
MK
Unitée des Neisseria, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Topilko
Andrzej
A
Station Centrale de Microscopie Electronique, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Marchal
Christian
C
Unitée des Neisseria, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D000596:Amino Acids; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C074063:pilE protein, Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D007501:Iron; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C068255:pilB protein, Bacteria; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase