The CLO3403/CLO3404 two-component system of Clostridium botulinum E1 Beluga is important for cold shock response and growth at low temperatures.

Abstract

In order to survive a temperature downshift, bacteria have to sense the changing environment and adjust their metabolism and structure. Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) play a central role in sensing and responding to many different environmental stimuli. Although the nonproteolytic (group II) Clostridium botulinum represents a major hazard in chilled foods, the cold adaption mechanisms of group II C. botulinum organisms are not known. Here, we show that the CLO3403/CLO3404 TCS of C. botulinum E1 Beluga is involved in the cold shock response and growth at 12°C. Cold shock induced the expression of the genes encoding the histidine kinase (clo3403) and the response regulator (clo3404) by more than 100-fold after 5 h relative to their expression in a nonshocked culture at the corresponding time point. The involvement of CLO3403/CLO3404 in growth at low temperature was demonstrated by impaired growth of the insertional clo3403 and clo3404 knockout mutants at 12°C compared to the growth of the wild-type culture. Additionally, the inactivation of clo3403 had a negative effect on motility. The growth efficiency at 12°C of the TCS mutants and the motility of the kinase mutants were restored by introducing a plasmid harboring the operon of the CLO3403/CLO3404 TCS. The results suggest that the CLO3403/CLO3404 TCS is important for the cold tolerance of C. botulinum E1 Beluga.

• Authors: Gerald Mascher, Yagmur Derman, David G Kirk, Eveliina Palonen, Miia Lindström, Hannu Korkeala
• Journal: Applied and environmental microbiology (Appl Environ Microbiol) Vol. 80 Issue 1 Pg. 399-407 (Jan 2014) ISSN: 1098-5336 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24185852 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• Transcription Factors
• Protein Kinases
• Histidine Kinase

Topics

• Bacterial Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Clostridium botulinum (genetics, growth & development, radiation effects)
• Cold-Shock Response
• Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• Gene Knockout Techniques
• Genetic Complementation Test
• Histidine Kinase
• Mutagenesis, Insertional
• Protein Kinases (genetics, metabolism)
• Temperature
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)