Open AccessStationary phase‐specific expression of the fic gene in Escherichia coli K‐12 is controlled by the rpoS gene product ( σ 38 )
Author(s) -
Utsumi Ryutaro,
Kusafuka Shie,
Nakayama Takahiro,
Tanaka Kan,
Takayanagi Yuko,
Takahashi Hideo,
Noda Manjiro,
Kawamukai Makoto
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1993.tb06526.x
Subject(s) - rpos , escherichia coli , gene , gene product , gene expression , enterobacteriaceae , product (mathematics) , phase (matter) , stationary phase , biology , genetics , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , promoter , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , chromatography
The fic gene, near pabA located at 75 min of the Escherichia coli chromosome, was previously identified as the regulatory factor of cell division. In this paper we have examined how fic gene expression is controlled during the growth cycle using a fic‐lacZ protein fusion plasmid (pFL1). Its expression was induced at stationary phase while it was nearly abolished in rpoS mutants. Using a RNase protection assay, fic transcript at stationary phase was induced at stationary phase while it was nearly abolished in rpoS mutants. Using a RNase protection assay, fic transcript at stationary phase was detected in rpoS + strains, but not in the rpoS mutants. Furthermore, primer extension analysis indicated that the fic transcript controlled by RpoS initiates at a G located 185 bp upstream from ATG of the fic coding region. Compared with the σ 70 recognition sequence, the −10 region of fic promoter resembled the Pribnow box, but no homologous sequence was observed at the −35 region. These results were consistent with the characteristic sequence profile of fic promoter recognized specifically by RpoS in vitro, which is the only example of the type III promoter so far detected in vitro and in vivo.