Sporulation and enterotoxin (CPE) synthesis are controlled by the sporulation-specific sigma factors SigE and SigK in Clostridium perfringens.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium perfringens is the third most frequent cause of bacterial food poisoning annually in the United States. Ingested C. perfringens vegetative cells sporulate in the intestinal tract and produce an enterotoxin (CPE) that is responsible for the symptoms of acute food poisoning. Studies of Bacillus subtilis have shown that gene expression during sporulation is compartmentalized, with different genes expressed in the mother cell and the forespore. The cell-specific RNA polymerase sigma factors sigma(F), sigma(E), sigma(G), and sigma(K) coordinate much of the developmental process. The C. perfringens cpe gene, encoding CPE, is transcribed from three promoters, where P1 was proposed to be sigma(K) dependent, while P2 and P3 were proposed to be sigma(E) dependent based on consensus promo

SUBMITTER: Harry KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2668419 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature