title: H-NS, the genome sentinel.
abstract: Two recent reports have indicated that the H-NS protein in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has a key role in selectively silencing the transcription of large numbers of horizontally acquired AT-rich genes, including those that make up its major pathogenicity islands. Broadly similar conclusions have emerged from a study of H-NS binding to DNA in Escherichia coli. How do these findings affect our view of H-NS and its ability to influence bacterial evolution?
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. cjdorman@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Dorman
mesh_terms: D020856:AT Rich Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D020868:Gene Silencing; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C031908:H-NS protein, bacteria