The single extracytoplasmic-function sigma factor of Xylella fastidiosa is involved in the heat shock response and presents an unusual regulatory mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Genome sequence analysis of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa revealed the presence of two genes, named rpoE and rseA, predicted to encode an extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor and an anti-sigma factor, respectively. In this work, an rpoE null mutant was constructed in the citrus strain J1a12 and shown to be sensitive to exposure to heat shock and ethanol. To identify the X. fastidiosa sigma(E) regulon, global gene expression profiles were obtained by DNA microarray analysis of bacterial cells under heat shock, identifying 21 sigma(E)-dependent genes. These genes encode proteins belonging to different functional categories, such as enzymes involved in protein folding and degradation, signal transduction, and DNA restriction modification and hypothetical proteins. Several putative

SUBMITTER: da Silva Neto JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1797396 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature