Transcription antitermination by a phosphorylated response regulator and cobalamin-dependent termination at a B₁₂ riboswitch contribute to ethanolamine utilization in Enterococcus faecalis.

ABSTRACT: The ability of bacteria to utilize ethanolamine (EA) as a carbon and nitrogen source may confer an advantage for survival, colonization, and pathogenicity in the human intestinal tract. Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive human commensal organism, depends on a two-component signaling system (TCS-17) for sensing EA and regulating the expression of the ethanolamine utilization genes. Multiple promoters participate in eut gene expression in the presence of EA as the sole carbon source and cobalamin (CoB12), an essential cofactor in the enzymatic degradation process. By means of in vivo and in vitro approaches, this study characterized the transcriptional activity identified in the eutT-eutG intergenic region of the E. faecalis eut cluster. Two novel promoters in this region were shown to b

SUBMITTER: Baker KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3133151 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature