A novel sigma factor reveals a unique regulon controlling cell-specific recombination in Mycoplasma genitalium.

ABSTRACT: The Mycoplasma genitalium MG428 protein shows homology to members of the sigma-70 family of sigma factors. Herein, we found that MG428 activates transcription of recA, ruvA and ruvB as well as several genes with unknown function. Deletion of MG_428 or some of the up-regulated unknown genes led to severe recombination defects. Single cell analyses revealed that activation of the MG428-regulon is a rare event under laboratory growth conditions. A conserved sequence with sigma-70 promoter architecture (TTGTCA-N(18/19)-ATTWAT) was identified in the upstream region of all of the MG428-regulated genes or operons. Primer extension analyses demonstrated that transcription initiates immediately downstream of this sigma70-type promoter in a MG428-dependent manner. Furthermore, mutagenesis of the con

SUBMITTER: Torres-Puig S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4446450 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature