title: Reducing acetate excretion from E. coli K-12 by over-expressing the small RNA SgrS.
abstract: When exposed to the nonmetabolized glucose derivative alpha methyl glucoside (αMG), both Escherichia coli K-12 (JM109 and MG1655) and E. coli B (BL21) respond by reducing the concentration of the mRNA of the ptsG gene which is responsible for the biosynthesis of the glucose transporter EIICB(glu). This occurs through the over-expression of the noncoding small RNA SgrS, which interacts specifically with the mRNA of the ptsG gene and prevents its translation. However, when these bacteria are exposed to a glucose concentration of 40 g/L, over-expression of SgrS is observed only in E. coli B (BL21). Unlike E. coli K-12 (JM109 and MG1655), which are affected by high glucose concentration and produce higher levels of acetate, E. coli B (BL21) is not affected. Based on this information, it was assumed that over-expression of SgrS enables E. coli B (BL21) to reduce its acetate excretion by controlling the glucose transport. When SgrS was over-expressed in both E. coli K-12 strains from a multicopy plasmid, it was possible to reduce their acetate excretion levels to those seen in E. coli B. This observation opens a new approach towards controlling bacterial metabolism through the use of noncoding RNA.
authors: Biotechnology Core Laboratory, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Negrete
authors: Nadim
authors: N
authors: Majdalani
authors: Je-Nie
authors: JN
authors: Phue
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Shiloach
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C526013:SgrT protein, E coli; D010731:Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System; C031629:phosphoenolpyruvate-glucose phosphotransferase; D005947:Glucose