title: DNA damage induction of recA in Mycobacterium tuberculosis independently of RecA and LexA.
abstract: The ubiquitous and highly conserved RecA protein is generally expressed from a single promoter, which is regulated by LexA in conjunction with RecA. We show here using transcriptional fusions to a reporter gene that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis recA gene is expressed from two promoters. Although one promoter is clearly regulated in the classical way, the other remains DNA damage inducible in the absence of RecA or when LexA binding is prevented. These observations demonstrate convincingly for the first time that there is a novel mechanism of DNA damage induction in M. tuberculosis that is independent of LexA and RecA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Mycobacterial Research, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK. edavis@nimr.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elaine O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Krishna K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gopaul
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Papavinasasundaram
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: Erik C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Böttger
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein