Phenotypic heterogeneity in mycobacterial stringent response.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A common survival strategy of microorganisms subjected to stress involves the generation of phenotypic heterogeneity in the isogenic microbial population enabling a subset of the population to survive under stress. In a recent study, a mycobacterial population of M. smegmatis was shown to develop phenotypic heterogeneity under nutrient depletion. The observed heterogeneity is in the form of a bimodal distribution of the expression levels of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as reporter with the gfp fused to the promoter of the rel gene. The stringent response pathway is initiated in the subpopulation with high rel activity.

Results

In the present study, we characterise quantitatively the single cell promoter activity of the three key genes, namely, mprA, sigE an

SUBMITTER: Ghosh S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3045321 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature