RcsB plays a central role in H-NS-dependent regulation of motility and acid stress resistance in Escherichia coli

Res Microbiol. 2010 Jun;161(5):363-71. doi: 10.1016/j.resmic.2010.04.002. Epub 2010 May 14.

Abstract

In Escherichia coli, hns mutants lack flagellar motility and display an increase in acid stress resistance. Spontaneous phenotypic revertants showed reversion of both H-NS-controlled phenotypes. In the present study, suppressor mutations were identified in the rcsB gene. In addition to RcsA, our experiments establish that H-NS indirectly controlled the RcsB regulator via repression of RcsD. We also show that RcsB(D56E), mimicking phosphorylated RcsB, interacts with GadE to form a RcsB-P/GadE complex, a general direct regulator of glutamate-, arginine- and lysine-dependent acid resistance pathways. In addition, we showed that H-NS positively affects motility via the flhDC master operon repression by RcsB. This substantiates the central role of RcsB in H-NS-mediated control of motility and acid stress resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / physiology*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fimbriae Proteins / genetics
  • Fimbriae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Flagella / genetics*
  • Flagella / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Movement
  • Operon
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphotransferases / genetics
  • Phosphotransferases / metabolism*
  • Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional
  • Stress, Physiological*
  • Suppression, Genetic
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • FimG protein, E coli
  • GadE protein, E coli
  • RcsB protein, E coli
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • flhC protein, E coli
  • flhD protein, E coli
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Phosphotransferases
  • rcsD protein, E coli