Cold adaptation regulated by cryptic prophage excision in Shewanella oneidensis.

ABSTRACT: Among the environmental stresses experienced by bacteria, temperature shifts are one of the most important. In this study, we discovered a novel cold adaptation mechanism in Shewanella oneidensis that occurs at the DNA level and is regulated by cryptic prophage excision. Previous studies on bacterial cold tolerance mainly focus on the structural change of cell membrane and changes at the RNA and protein levels. Whether or not genomic change can also contribute to this process has not been explored. Here we employed a whole-genome deep-sequencing method to probe the changes at DNA level in a model psychrotrophic bacteria strain. We found that temperature downshift induced a 10 000-fold increase of the excision of a novel P4-like cryptic prophage. Importantly, although prophage excision only

SUBMITTER: Zeng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5148205 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature