title: Cysteine metabolism-related genes and bacterial resistance to potassium tellurite.
abstract: Tellurite exerts a deleterious effect on a number of small molecules containing sulfur moieties that have a recognized role in cellular oxidative stress. Because cysteine is involved in the biosynthesis of glutathione and other sulfur-containing compounds, we investigated the expression of Geobacillus stearothermophilus V cysteine-related genes cobA, cysK, and iscS and Escherichia coli cysteine regulon genes under conditions that included the addition of K2TeO3 to the culture medium. Results showed that cell tolerance to tellurite correlates with the expression level of the cysteine metabolic genes and that these genes are up-regulated when tellurite is present in the growth medium.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Casilla 40, Correo 33, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Derie E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Eugenia L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Miguel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Chasteen
authors.forename: Sergio E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Pichuantes
authors.forename: Claudio C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Vásquez
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001406:Bacillaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003545:Cysteine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003547:Cysteine Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D018085:Regulon; D013691:Tellurium / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C026899:potassium tellurate(IV); D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C082269:ATP-corrinoid adenosyltransferase; D003547:Cysteine Synthase; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C080546:cysteine desulfurase; D003545:Cysteine; D013691:Tellurium