Pathogenic bacteria experience pervasive RNA polymerase backtracking during infection.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Eukaryotic hosts have defense mechanisms that may disrupt molecular transactions along the pathogen's chromosome through excessive DNA damage. Given that DNA damage stalls RNA polymerase (RNAP) thereby increasing mutagenesis, investigating how host defense mechanisms impact the movement of the transcription machinery on the pathogen chromosome is crucial. Using a new methodology we developed, we elucidated the dynamics of RNAP movement and association with the chromosome in the pathogenic bacterium Salmonella enterica during infection. We found that dynamics of RNAP movement on the chromosome change significantly during infection genome-wide, including at regions that encode for key virulence genes. In particular, we found that there is pervasive RNAP backtracking

SUBMITTER: Browning KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10790778 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature