title: Conditional essentiality of the csrA gene in Escherichia coli.
abstract: CsrA is a global posttranscriptional regulator of numerous physiological processes, such as glycogenesis and glycolysis. Here, we show that the csrA gene of Escherichia coli is essential for growth on LB and on synthetic medium containing glycolytic carbon sources. However, csrA is not necessary for growth on synthetic medium containing pyruvate, showing that the Krebs cycle is functional in the csrA::cat deletion mutant. Deletion of the glgCAP operon in the csrA::cat mutant restored the ability to grow on LB and on synthetic medium containing glycolytic carbon sources, showing that growth inhibition is due to an excess of glycogen synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timmermans
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Melderen
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D020043:Genes, Essential; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006008:Glycogen Storage Disease; D006019:Glycolysis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C093587:CsrA protein, E coli; D003470:Culture Media; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D006003:Glycogen