A newly identified prophage-encoded gene, ymfM, causes SOS-inducible filamentation in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Rod-shaped bacteria such as Escherichia coli can regulate cell division in response to stress, leading to filamentation, a process where cell growth and DNA replication continues in the absence of division, resulting in elongated cells. The classic example of stress is DNA damage which results in the activation of the SOS response. While the inhibition of cell division during SOS has traditionally been attributed to SulA in E. coli, a previous report suggests that the e14 prophage may also encode an SOS-inducible cell division inhibitor, previously named SfiC. However, the exact gene responsible for this division inhibition has remained unknown for over 35 years. A recent high-throughput over-expression screen in E. coli identified the e14 prophage gene, ymfM, as a potential cell division

SUBMITTER: Ansari S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8117526 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature