Adaptation to sustained nitrogen starvation by Escherichia coli requires the eukaryote-like serine/threonine kinase YeaG.

Abstract

The Escherichia coli eukaryote-like serine/threonine kinase, encoded by yeaG, is expressed in response to diverse stresses, including nitrogen (N) starvation. A role for yeaG in bacterial stress response is unknown. Here we reveal for the first time that wild-type E. coli displays metabolic heterogeneity following sustained periods of N starvation, with the metabolically active population displaying compromised viability. In contrast, such heterogeneity in metabolic activity is not observed in an E. coli ∆yeaG mutant, which continues to exist as a single and metabolically active population and thus displays an overall compromised ability to survive sustained periods of N starvation. The mechanism by which yeaG acts, involves the transcriptional repression of two toxin/antitoxin modules, mqsR/mqsA and dinJ/yafQ. This, consequently, has a positive effect on the expression of rpoS, the master regulator of the general bacterial stress response. Overall, results indicate that yeaG is required to fully execute the rpoS-dependent gene expression program to allow E. coli to adapt to sustained N starvation and unravels a novel facet to the regulatory basis that underpins adaptive response to N stress.

• Authors: Rita Figueira, Daniel R Brown, Delfim Ferreira, Matthew J G Eldridge, Lynn Burchell, Zhensheng Pan, Sophie Helaine, Sivaramesh Wigneshweraraj
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 5 Pg. 17524 (Dec 01 2015) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26621053 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• Bacterial Toxins
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• DinJ protein, E coli
• Escherichia coli Proteins
• MqsA protein, E coli
• MqsR protein, E coli
• Sigma Factor
• YafQ protein, E coli
• sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
• YeaG protein, E coli
• Nitrogen

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological
• Bacterial Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Bacterial Toxins (genetics, metabolism)
• DNA-Binding Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Escherichia coli K12 (enzymology, genetics)
• Escherichia coli Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Gene Deletion
• Nitrogen (metabolism)
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases (genetics, metabolism)
• Sigma Factor (genetics, metabolism)