The Role of the Exo-Xis Region in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Induction of Shiga Toxin-Converting Prophages

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2016:8453135. doi: 10.1155/2016/8453135. Epub 2015 Dec 20.

Abstract

Previous studies indicated that these genetic elements could be involved in the regulation of lysogenization and prophage induction processes. The effects were dramatic in Shiga toxin-converting phage Φ24(B) after treatment with oxidative stress-inducing agent, hydrogen peroxide, while they were less pronounced in bacteriophage λ and in both phages irradiated with UV. The hydrogen peroxide-caused prophage induction was found to be RecA-dependent. Importantly, in hydrogen peroxide-treated E. coli cells lysogenic for either λ or Φ24(B), deletion of the exo-xis region resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of expression of the S.O.S. regulon genes. Moreover, under these conditions, a dramatic decrease in the levels of expression of phage genes crucial for lytic development (particularly xis, exo, N, cro, O, Q, and R) could be observed in Φ24(B)-, but not in λ-bearing cells. We conclude that genes located in the exo-xis region are necessary for efficient expression of both host S.O.S regulon in lysogenic bacteria and regulatory genes of Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophage Φ24(B).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacteriophage lambda / drug effects
  • Bacteriophage lambda / metabolism
  • Bacteriophage lambda / radiation effects
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / radiation effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / radiation effects
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Lysogeny / drug effects
  • Lysogeny / radiation effects
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / genetics*
  • Oxidative Stress / radiation effects
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prophages / drug effects
  • Prophages / metabolism*
  • Prophages / radiation effects
  • Rec A Recombinases / metabolism
  • Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / genetics*
  • Regulon / genetics
  • SOS Response, Genetics / drug effects
  • SOS Response, Genetics / genetics
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Serine Endopeptidases / chemistry
  • Serine Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Shiga Toxin / metabolism*
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Virus Activation / drug effects
  • Virus Activation / radiation effects

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • LexA protein, Bacteria
  • Shiga Toxin
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Rec A Recombinases
  • Serine Endopeptidases