Oscillating global regulators control the genetic circuit driving a bacterial cell cycle.
A newly identified cell-cycle master regulator protein, GcrA, together with the CtrA master regulator, are key components of a genetic circuit that drives cell-cycle progression and asymmetric polar morphogenesis in Caulobacter crescentus. The circuit drives out-of-phase temporal and spatial oscillation of GcrA and CtrA concentrations, producing time- and space-dependent transcriptional regulation of modular functions that implement cell-cycle processes. The CtrA/GcrA regulatory circuit controls expression of polar differentiation factors and the timing of DNA replication. CtrA functions as a silencer of the replication origin and GcrA as an activator of components of the replisome and the segregation machinery.
Holtzendorff
Julia
J
Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Beckman Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Hung
Dean
D
Brende
Peter
P
Reisenauer
Ann
A
Viollier
Patrick H
PH
McAdams
Harley H
HH
Shapiro
Lucy
L
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020043:Genes, Essential; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018741:Replication Origin; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C097706:CtrA protein, Caulobacter; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors