Identification of a novel anti-sigmaE factor in Neisseria meningitidis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fine tuning expression of genes is a prerequisite for the strictly human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis to survive hostile growth conditions and establish disease. Many bacterial species respond to stress by using alternative sigma factors which, in complex with RNA polymerase holoenzyme, recognize specific promoter determinants. sigma(E), encoded by rpoE (NMB2144) in meningococci, is known to be essential in mounting responses to environmental challenges in many pathogens. Here we identified genes belonging to the sigma(E) regulon of meningococci.

Results

We show that meningococcal sigma(E) is part of the polycistronic operon NMB2140-NMB2145 and autoregulated. In addition we demonstrate that sigma(E) controls expression of methionine sulfoxide reductase (MsrA/Ms

SUBMITTER: Hopman CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2893595 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature