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A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues
Published on: February 19, 2019
H-NS family members function coordinately in an opportunistic pathogen
Sandra Castang1, Heather R McManus, Keith H Turner
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) family members, MvaT and MvaU, share functions. These proteins bind the same DNA regions, regulating hundreds of genes and likely silencing foreign DNA.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) is a global gene regulator in Gram-negative bacteria.
- Multiple H-NS family members exist in some bacteria, raising questions about functional redundancy or specialization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct or overlapping functions of MvaT and MvaU, the two H-NS family members in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- To determine the genome-wide binding locations and coregulated genes of MvaT and MvaU.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide location analyses were performed for MvaT and MvaU in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Chromosomal binding regions and target genes were identified.
Main Results:
- MvaT and MvaU bind to the same chromosomal regions.
- These proteins coregulate the expression of approximately 350 target genes.
- MvaT and MvaU preferentially bind to AT-rich regions, similar to H-NS in enteric bacteria.
Conclusions:
- H-NS paralogs, MvaT and MvaU, function coordinately to regulate the same target genes in P. aeruginosa.
- MvaT and MvaU are likely involved in the silencing of foreign DNA elements within the P. aeruginosa chromosome.
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