<i>Francisella tularensis</i> universal stress protein contributes to persistence during growth arrest and paraquat-induced superoxide stress.

ABSTRACT: Francisella tularensis is one of the most virulent bacterial pathogens known and causes the disease tularemia, which can be fatal if untreated. This zoonotic and intracellular pathogen is exposed to diverse environmental and host stress factors that require an appropriate response to survive. However, the stress tolerance mechanisms used by F. tularensis to persist are not fully understood. To address this aspect, we evaluated the highly conserved universal stress protein (Usp) that is encoded by a single-copy gene in F. tularensis, unlike the majority of other bacterial pathogens that produce several to many Usp homologs. We determined that the F. tularensis Usp transcript is unusually stable with a half-life of over 30 minutes, and that

SUBMITTER: Girardo B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11841066 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature