title: Interplay between genetic regulation of phosphate homeostasis and bacterial virulence.
abstract: Bacterial pathogens, including those of humans, animals, and plants, encounter phosphate (Pi)-limiting or Pi-rich environments in the host, depending on the site of infection. The environmental Pi-concentration results in modulation of expression of the Pho regulon that allows bacteria to regulate phosphate assimilation pathways accordingly. In many cases, modulation of Pho regulon expression also results in concomitant changes in virulence phenotypes. Under Pi-limiting conditions, bacteria use the transcriptional-response regulator PhoB to translate the Pi starvation signal sensed by the bacterium into gene activation or repression. This regulator is employed not only for the maintenance of bacterial Pi homeostasis but also to differentially regulate virulence. The Pho regulon is therefore not only a regulatory circuit of phosphate homeostasis but also plays an important adaptive role in stress response and bacterial virulence. Here we focus on recent findings regarding the mechanisms of gene regulation that underlie the virulence responses to Pi stress in Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas spp., and pathogenic E. coli.
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie Porcine et Avicole (CRIPA); Université de Montréal; Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire ; Saint-Hyacinthe , QC Canada.
authors.forename: Samuel Mohammed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chekabab
authors.forename: Josée
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harel
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dozois
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018085:Regulon / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C585752:PhoB protein, E coli; D010710:Phosphates; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Escherichia coli (E. coli); Pho regulon; PhoB; Pseudomonas spp.; Pst; Vibrio cholerae; bacterial pathogens; gene regulation; phosphate limitation; virulence