title: Genetic response to metabolic fluctuations: correlation between central carbon metabolism and DNA replication in Escherichia coli.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Until now, the direct link between central carbon metabolism and DNA replication has been demonstrated only in Bacillus. subtilis. Therefore, we asked if this is a specific phenomenon, characteristic for this bacterium and perhaps for its close relatives, or a more general biological rule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that temperature-sensitivity of mutants in particular genes coding for replication proteins could be suppressed by deletions of certain genes coding for enzymes of the central carbon metabolism. Namely, the effects of dnaA46(ts) mutation could be suppressed by dysfunction of pta or ackA, effects of dnaB(ts) by dysfunction of pgi or pta, effects of dnaE486(ts) by dysfunction of tktB, effects of dnaG(ts) by dysfunction of gpmA, pta or ackA, and effects of dnaN159(ts) by dysfunction of pta or ackA. The observed suppression effects were not caused by a decrease in bacterial growth rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The genetic correlation exists between central carbon metabolism and DNA replication in the model Gram-negative bacterium, E. coli. This link exists at the steps of initiation and elongation of DNA replication, indicating the important global correlation between metabolic status of the cell and the events leading to cell reproduction.
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdańsk, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Maciąg
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Nowicki
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Janniere
authors: Agnieszka
authors: A
authors: Szalewska-Pałasz
authors: Grzegorz
authors: G
authors: Węgrzyn
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D002244:Carbon