title: The relA homolog of Mycobacterium smegmatis affects cell appearance, viability, and gene expression.
abstract: The modification of metabolic pathways to allow for a dormant lifestyle appears to be an important feature for the survival of pathogenic bacteria within their host. One regulatory mechanism for persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections is the stringent response. In this study, we analyze the stringent response of a nonpathogenic, saprophytic mycobacterial species, Mycobacterium smegmatis. The use of M. smegmatis as a tool for studying the mycobacterial stringent response was demonstrated by measuring the expression of two M. tuberculosis genes, hspX and eis, in M. smegmatis in the presence and absence of rel(Msm). The stringent response plays a role in M. smegmatis cellular and colony formation that is suggestive of changes in the bacterial cell wall structure.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Science Hall, Room 301, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. johndahl@wsu.edu
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Kriti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Helena I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Boshoff
authors.forename: Danelle C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Whiteford
authors.forename: Sophia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Olaus J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lau-Bonilla
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Garza
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C118127:HspX protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D000123:Acetyltransferases; C430563:Eis protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis