title: Crucial roles of MicA and RybB as vital factors for σ-dependent cell lysis in Escherichia coli long-term stationary phase.
abstract: σ(E)-dependent cell lysis has been proposed to eliminate damaged cells in the stationary phase in Escherichia coli. In order to explore the relationship of this process to long-term stationary phase existence, we considered that micA and rybB could be important small regulatory RNA (sRNA) genes for σ(E)-dependent cell lysis. A long-term stationary phase was observed at temperatures of <37°C, but not >38°C, and was found even in an rpoS knock-out background. Strains with disrupted micA or rybB were incapable of long-term stationary phase existence. Both strains drastically lost survivability accompanied by a dramatic accumulation of mutations. These findings allow us to speculate that σ(E)-dependent cell lysis plays a key role in the establishment of the long-term stationary phase, presumably by eliminating damaged cells and thus preventing the over-accumulation of mutations.
authors.affiliation: Applied Molecular Bioscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagamitsu
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosaka
authors.forename: Junpei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Hirotada
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D045647:DNA Glycosylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; D045647:DNA Glycosylases; C061738:mutY adenine glycosylase