title: Differential gene regulation in Yersinia pestis versus Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: effects of hypoxia and potential role of a plasmid regulator.
abstract: The molecular basis of the biological differences between Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis remains largely unknown, and relatively little is known about environmental regulation of gene expression in these bacteria. We used a proteomic approach to explore the regulatory response of each bacterium to carbon dioxide-supplemented hypoxic conditions. Both organisms responded similarly and the magnitude of their responses was similar to what was observed in low iron conditions. We also identified proteins that were expressed at different levels in Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis, and found that SodB is expressed more strongly at both the protein and RNA levels in Y. pseudotuberculosis than in Y. pestis. Enzyme activity did not directly correlate with levels of protein expression, and we propose that an amino acid change difference between these orthologous proteins has the potential to affect catalytic activity. In addition, the upstream regulatory regions of several chromosomal genes were found to exhibit specific binding with a putative transcription factor, CDS4, from the Y. pestis-specific pPCPI plasmid. The potential role of this protein in modulating Y. pestis- specific gene regulation warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, USA.
authors.forename: Guangchun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golubov
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pata
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McDonough
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011487:Protein Conformation; D040901:Proteomics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C087504:SodB protein, Bacteria; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase