MG428 is a novel positive regulator of recombination that triggers mgpB and mgpC gene variation in Mycoplasma genitalium.

ABSTRACT: The human pathogen Mycoplasma genitalium employs homologous recombination to generate antigenic diversity in the immunodominant MgpB and MgpC proteins. Only recently, some of the molecular factors involved in this process have been characterized, but nothing is known about its regulation. Here, we show that M. genitalium expresses N-terminally truncated RecA isoforms via alternative translation initiation, but only the full-length protein is essential for gene variation. We also demonstrate that overexpression of MG428 positively regulates the expression of recombination genes, including recA, ruvA, ruvB and ORF2, a gene of unknown function co-transcribed with ruvAB. The co-ordinated induction of these genes correlated with an increase of mgpBC gene variation. In contrast, cells lacking MG

SUBMITTER: Burgos R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4203379 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature