title: Recent Advances in Helicobacter pylori Replication: Possible Implications in Adaptation to a Pathogenic Lifestyle and Perspectives for Drug Design.
abstract: DNA replication is an important step in the life cycle of every cell that ensures the continuous flow of genetic information from one generation to the next. In all organisms, chromosome replication must be coordinated with overall cell growth. Helicobacter pylori growth strongly depends on its interaction with the host, particularly with the gastric epithelium. Moreover, H. pylori actively searches for an optimal microniche within a stomach, and it has been shown that not every microniche equally supports growth of this bacterium. We postulate that besides nutrients, H. pylori senses different, unknown signals, which presumably also affect chromosome replication to maintain H. pylori propagation at optimal ratio allowing H. pylori to establish a chronic, lifelong infection. Thus, H. pylori chromosome replication and particularly the regulation of this process might be considered important for bacterial pathogenesis. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of chromosome and plasmid replication in H. pylori and discuss the mechanisms responsible for regulating this key cellular process. The results of extensive studies conducted thus far allow us to propose common and unique traits in H. pylori chromosome replication. Interestingly, the repertoire of proteins involved in replication in H. pylori is significantly different to that in E. coli, strongly suggesting that novel factors are engaged in H. pylori chromosome replication and could represent attractive drug targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland. zawilak@iitd.pan.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zawilak-Pawlik
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland.|Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Ul. Joliot-Curie 14A, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zakrzewska-Czerwińska
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015195:Drug Design; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Chromosome replication; Chromosome segregation; DnaA protein; HP1021; HobA; Initiation of DNA replication; Plasmid replication; Replication regulation; oriC region