title: Oleanolic and ursolic acids influence affect the expression of the cysteine regulon and the stress response in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The pentacyclic triterpenoids, oleanolic, and ursolic acids, affect peptidoglycan metabolism, altering bacterial morphology, and inhibit the growth and survival of several bacterial species, including pathogenic ones. We investigated the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of these compounds on the expression of three operons from the E. coli cysteine regulon, cysPTWA, cysJIH, and cysB, by using transcriptional fusions with the lacZ reporter gene. An inhibitory effect on β-galactosidase expression directed by all three chromosomal fusions was observed with both compounds. In addition, oleanolic acid, but not ursolic acid, caused a weak increase in DnaK synthesis, suggesting moderate ability of inducing heat-shock response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland. grudam@biol.uw.edu.pl
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grudniak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurek
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szarlak
authors.forename: Krystyna I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Wolska
mesh_terms: D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D018085:Regulon; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D003545:Cysteine; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid