How a Mutation in the Gene Encoding Sigma 70 Suppresses the Defective Heat Shock Response Caused by a Mutation in the Gene Encoding Sigma 32

Overview

Journal J Bacteriol

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Microbiology

Date 1992 Nov 1

PMID 1385385

Citations 10

Authors

Y N Zhou

C A Gross

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In Escherichia coli, transcription of the heat shock genes is regulated by sigma 32, the alternative sigma factor directing RNA polymerase to heat shock promoters. sigma 32, encoded by rpoH (htpR), is normally present in limiting amounts in cells. Upon temperature upshift, the amount of sigma 32 transiently increases, resulting in the transient increase in transcription of the heat shock genes known as the heat shock response. Strains carrying the rpoH165 nonsense mutation and supC(Ts), a temperature-sensitive suppressor tRNA, do not exhibit a heat shock response. This defect is suppressed by rpoD800, a mutation in the gene encoding sigma 70. We have determined the mechanism of suppression. In contrast to wild-type strains, the level of sigma 32 and the level of transcription of heat shock genes remain relatively constant in an rpoH165 rpoD800 strain after a temperature upshift. Instead, the heat shock response in this strain results from an approximately fivefold decrease in the cellular transcription carried out by the RNA polymerase holoenzyme containing mutant RpoD800 sigma 70 coupled with an overall increase in the translational efficiency of all mRNA species.

Citing Articles

Modulation of the E. coli rpoH Temperature Sensor with Triptycene-Based Small Molecules.

Barros S, Yoon I, Chenoweth D Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2016; 55(29):8258-61.

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A model for sigma factor competition in bacterial cells.

Mauri M, Klumpp S PLoS Comput Biol. 2014; 10(10):e1003845.

PMID: 25299042 PMC: 4191881. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003845.

Insights into transcriptional regulation and sigma competition from an equilibrium model of RNA polymerase binding to DNA.

Grigorova I, Phleger N, Mutalik V, Gross C Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006; 103(14):5332-7.

PMID: 16567622 PMC: 1459355. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0600828103.

Genotype-by-environment interactions influencing the emergence of rpoS mutations in Escherichia coli populations.

King T, Seeto S, Ferenci T Genetics. 2006; 172(4):2071-9.

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Tethering sigma70 to RNA polymerase reveals high in vivo activity of sigma factors and sigma70-dependent pausing at promoter-distal locations.

Mooney R, Landick R Genes Dev. 2003; 17(22):2839-51.

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