Activation of Toxin-Antitoxin System Toxins Suppresses Lethality Caused by the Loss of σE in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT:

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σ(E), an alternative σ factor that governs a major signaling pathway in envelope stress responses in Gram-negative bacteria, is essential for growth of Escherichia coli not only under stressful conditions, such as elevated temperature, but also under normal laboratory conditions. A mutational inactivation of the hicB gene has been reported to suppress the lethality caused by the loss of σ(E). hicB encodes the antitoxin of the HicA-HicB toxin-antitoxin (TA) system; overexpression of the HicA toxin, which exhibits mRNA interferase activity, causes cleavage of mRNAs and an arrest of cell growth, while simultaneous expression of HicB neutralizes the toxic effects of overproduced HicA. To date, however, how the loss of HicB rescues the cell lethality in the absence of σ(E) an

SUBMITTER: Daimon Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4524175 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature