Abstract
The extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors are fundamental for bacterial adaptation to distinct environments and for survival under different stress conditions. The emerging pathogen Arcobacter butzleri possesses seven putative pairs of σ/anti-σ factors belonging to the ECF family. Here, we report the identification of the genes regulated by five out of the seven A. butzleri ECF σ factors. Three of the ECF σ factors play an apparent role in transport, energy generation and the maintenance of redox balance. Several genes like the nap, sox and tct genes are regulated by more than one ECF σ factor, indicating that the A. butzleri ECF σ factors form a network of overlapping regulons. In contrast to other eubacteria, these A. butzleri ECF regulons appear to primarily regulate responses to changing environments in order to meet metabolic needs instead of an obvious role in stress adaptation.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Arcobacter / genetics
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Arcobacter / metabolism*
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Bacterial Proteins / genetics
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
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DNA Primers / genetics
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Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins / metabolism
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Energy Metabolism*
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Gene Expression Profiling
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Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
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Mutagenesis
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Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
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Phenotype
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Sigma Factor / genetics
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Sigma Factor / metabolism*
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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DNA Primers
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Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins
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Sigma Factor
Grants and funding
This work was supported in part by the Basque Government (IT-528-10) through a Predoctoral Fellowship of the Basque Government for the Training of Researches (BF106.85); by a parallel incentive within the Predoctoral Fellowship of the Basque Government for short stays in different Research Centers (EC-2009-1-4); and by a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Short Term Fellowship (ASTF29-2010) to IMM. This work was also supported by a fellowship of Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO-Vidi) grant 917.66.330 to MMSMW and by funds from US Department of Agriculture Current Research Information System (USDA-CRIS) project 5325-42000-047-00D. No additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.