title: Effect of FliK mutation on the transcriptional activity of the {sigma}54 sigma factor RpoN in Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is a motile Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes and persists in the human gastric mucosa. The flagellum gene regulatory circuitry of H. pylori is unique in many aspects compared with the Salmonella/Escherichia coli paradigms, and some regulatory checkpoints remain unclear. FliK controls the hook length during flagellar assembly. Microarray analysis of a fliK-null mutant revealed increased transcription of genes under the control of the sigma(54) sigma factor RpoN. This sigma factor has been shown to be responsible for transcription of the class II flagellar genes, including flgE and flaB. No genes higher in the flagellar hierarchy had altered expression, suggesting specific and localized FliK-dependent feedback on the RpoN regulon. FliK thus appears to be involved in three processes: hook-length control, export substrate specificity and control of RpoN transcriptional activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Francois P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Douillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kieran A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Bacterial Microarray Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hinds
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: O'Toole
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C097681:FlgE protein, Bacteria; C099486:FliK protein, Bacteria; D005408:Flagellin; C416532:flaB flagellin; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54