The RNA-binding protein ProQ directly binds and regulates virulence genes in enterohemorrhagic <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7.

ABSTRACT: ProQ has recently emerged as a major post-transcriptional regulator in bacteria through directly binding to diverse mRNAs and small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs). However, the impact of ProQ in many pathogenic bacteria remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of ProQ in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a non-invasive intestinal pathogen. We found that deletion of proQ significantly enhanced cell adherence ability of EHEC and led to upregulation of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island. This effect was accompanied by reduced expression of genes encoding known LEE regulators, including protein factors (ihfA and hns) and sRNAs (GlmY and GlmZ), resulting from decreased stability of their transcripts in the absen

SUBMITTER: Qian Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12426089 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature