A genetic selection for Mycobacterium smegmatis mutants tolerant to killing by sodium citrate defines a combined role for cation homeostasis and osmotic stress in cell death.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacteria can colonize environments where the availability of metal ions is limited. Biological or inorganic chelators play an important role in limiting metal availability, and we developed a model to examine Mycobacterium smegmatis survival in the presence of the chelator sodium citrate. We observed that instead of restricting M. smegmatis growth, concentrated sodium citrate killed M. smegmatis. RNAseq analysis during sodium citrate treatment revealed transcriptional signatures of metal starvation and hyperosmotic stress. Notably, metal starvation and hyperosmotic stress, individually, do not kill M. smegmatis under these conditions. A forward genetic transposon selection was conducted to examine why sodium citrate was lethal, and several sodium-citrate-tol

SUBMITTER: Williams JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10597346 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature