Abstract
When nutrients become limiting, many bacteria differentiate and become resistant to environmental stresses. For Escherichia coli, this process is mediated by the sigma s subunit of RNA polymerase. Expression of sigma s was induced by homoserine lactone, a metabolite synthesized from intermediates in threonine biosynthesis. Homoserine lactone-dependent synthesis of sigma s was prevented by overexpression of a newly identified protein, RspA. The function of homoserine lactone derivatives in many cell density-dependent phenomena and the similarity of RspA to a Streptomyces ambofaciens protein suggest that synthesis of homoserine lactone may be a general signal of starvation.
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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4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives*
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4-Butyrolactone / metabolism
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4-Butyrolactone / pharmacology
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis*
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Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
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Bacterial Proteins / genetics
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
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Catalase / metabolism
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Escherichia coli / genetics
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Escherichia coli / metabolism*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
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Models, Biological
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Operon
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Phenotype
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Sigma Factor / biosynthesis*
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Sigma Factor / genetics
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Signal Transduction*
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Transcription, Genetic
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Vibrio / genetics
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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Sigma Factor
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sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria
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homoserine lactone
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Catalase
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4-Butyrolactone