Characterization of a novel gene, wosA, regulating FlhDC expression in Proteus mirabilis.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we describe wosA, a Proteus mirabilis gene identified by its ability to increase swarming motility when overexpressed. At various times during the swarming cycle, the increased expression of wosA resulted in a 4- to 16-fold upregulation of the transcription of flhDC, encoding the master regulator of the flagellar cascade. In turn, the expression of flaA, encoding flagellin, was substantially increased in wosA-overexpressing strains. The overexpression of wosA also resulted in constitutive swarmer cell differentiation in liquid medium, a normally nonpermissive condition. However, in wosA-overexpressing strains, the onset of swarming was not altered. A null wosA allele resulted in a slight decrease in swarming motility. The expression of wosA was growth phase dependent during

SUBMITTER: Hatt JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2258889 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature