The VirF21:VirF30 protein ratio is affected by temperature and impacts Shigella flexneri host cell invasion.

ABSTRACT: Shigella spp, the etiological agents of bacillary dysentery in humans, have evolved an intricate regulatory strategy to ensure fine-tuned expression of virulence genes in response to environmental stimuli. A key component in this regulation is VirF, an AraC-like transcription factor, which at the host temperature (37°C) triggers, directly or indirectly, the expression of > 30 virulence genes important for invasion of the intestinal epithelium. Previous work identified two different forms of VirF with distinct functions: VirF30 activates virulence gene expression, while VirF21 appears to negatively regulate virF itself. Moreover, VirF21 originates from either differential translation of the virF mRNA or from a shorter leaderless mRNA (llmRNA). Here we report that both expression of the virF

SUBMITTER: Skovajsova E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9217107 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature