Open AccessRole for rpoS gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in antibiotic tolerance
Author(s) -
Murakami Keiji,
Ono Tsuneko,
Viducic Darija,
Kayama Shizuo,
Mori Makiko,
Hirota Katsuhiko,
Nemoto Ken,
Miyake Yoichiro
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.11.005
Subject(s) - rpos , sigma factor , pseudomonas aeruginosa , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , antibiotics , strain (injury) , gene , regulator , osmotic shock , genetics , bacteria , promoter , gene expression , anatomy
The alternative sigma factor, RpoS has been described as a central regulator of many stationary phase‐inducible genes and a master stress‐response regulator under various stress conditions. We constructed an rpoS mutant in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigated the role of rpoS gene in antibiotic tolerance. The survival of the rpoS mutant cells in stationary phase was ∼70 times lower when compared with that of the parental strain at 37 °C for 2 h after the addition of biapenem. For imipenem, the survival was ∼40 times lower. Heat stress promoted an increase in the survival of the parental strain to biapenem, but the same was not found to be the case for the rpoS mutant. Our results indicate that rpoS gene is involved in tolerance to antibiotics in P. aeruginosa during the stationary phase and heat stress. However, under osmotic stress, tolerance to biapenem was not dependent on the rpoS gene.