Fine-tuned growth phase control of dps, encoding a DNA protection protein, by FIS and H-NS.
Dps, a ferritin-like DNA-binding protein, protects bacterial DNA against oxidative stress and hyper-compacts the nucleoid into a crystalline-like structure. In Escherichia coli, transcription of dps from a single promoter is directed by sigma S-RNA polymerase in stationary phase and by sigma 70-RNA polymerase in fast-dividing cells exposed to oxidative stress. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Grainger and co-workers demonstrate that the nucleoid-associated proteins, FIS and H-NS, control sigma factor selection at the dps promoter by a novel mechanism. The finding suggests a simple mechanism of growth phase control of Dps production and has implications for the response to oxidative stress by pathogenic enterobacteria.
Schnetz
Karin
K
Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. schnetz@uni-koeln.de
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein; C501034:Fis protein, E coli; C031908:H-NS protein, bacteria; C088010:dps protein, E coli