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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
10:35
An Assay for Measuring the Effects of Ethanol on the Locomotion Speed of Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: April 9, 2015
Multiple posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms partner to control ethanolamine utilization in Enterococcus
Kristina A Fox1, Arati Ramesh, Jennifer E Stearns
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Summary
Bacteria in the gut use ethanolamine for survival. This study reveals novel posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms, including a unique two-component system and an unusual riboswitch, controlling ethanolamine utilization genes (eut) in gut bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Gene Regulation
Background:
- Ethanolamine is abundant in the human gut and processed foods.
- Efficient utilization of ethanolamine offers a survival advantage to gut bacteria and can impact pathogen virulence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the posttranscriptional regulatory strategies controlling ethanolamine utilization (eut) genes in Enterococcus, Clostridium, and Listeria species.
- To elucidate the roles of a novel two-component regulatory system and an adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) riboswitch in eut gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a unique two-component regulatory system involving EutW (sensor histidine kinase) and EutV (response regulator with an RNA-binding domain).
- Investigation of an intercistronic AdoCbl riboswitch with a distinct predicted structure.
- Experimental validation of regulatory mechanisms controlling transcription termination within the eut locus.
Main Results:
- EutV interacts with transcription termination signals in the eut locus, influencing downstream gene expression.
- A novel AdoCbl riboswitch prevents transcription termination upon AdoCbl binding, differing from known structures.
- Multiple overlapping posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms coordinate eut gene expression in response to metabolic signals.
Conclusions:
- Gut bacteria employ sophisticated, coordinated posttranscriptional regulation for ethanolamine utilization.
- These regulatory strategies, including a novel two-component system and AdoCbl riboswitch, highlight intricate control over essential metabolic pathways.
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