Single-cell analysis reveals that cryptic prophage protease LfgB protects Escherichia coli during oxidative stress by cleaving antitoxin MqsA.

ABSTRACT: Although toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous, beyond phage inhibition and mobile element stabilization, their role in host metabolism is obscure. One of the best-characterized TA systems is MqsR/MqsA of Escherichia coli, which has been linked previously to protecting gastrointestinal species during the stress it encounters from the bile salt deoxycholate as it colonizes humans. However, some recent whole-population studies have challenged the role of toxins such as MqsR in bacterial physiology since the mqsRA locus is induced over a hundred-fold during stress, but a phenotype was not found upon its deletion. Here, we investigate further the role of MqsR/MqsA by utilizing single cells and demonstrate that upon oxidative stress, the TA system MqsR/MqsA has a heterogeneo

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Garcia L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10846083 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature