Systematic modulation of bacterial resource allocation by perturbing RNA polymerase availability via synthetic transcriptional switches.

ABSTRACT: Gene regulation and its interplay with physiological behaviors are the central topics of modern biology. Classical studies on gene regulation focus intensively on specific regulatory mechanisms of transcription. Nevertheless, the genome-wide impact of RNA polymerase (RNAP) availability on gene expression remains poorly understood. Here we developed two synthetic transcriptional switches to systematically titrate the expression of either ${\sigma ^A}$ (SigA, housekeeping sigma factor) or RpoBC (core enzyme) in Bacillus subtilis. Both systems effectively modulated cell growth, but with fundamentally distinct mechanisms. SigA limitation triggered significant resource reallocation, redirecting cellular investment from biosynthetic pathways to alternative cellular pathways, which could further

SUBMITTER: Zhu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12370630 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature