Open AccessRegulation of the Escherichia coli sheA gene and characterization of its encoded hemolytic activity
Author(s) -
Fernández Sandra V,
Xing Jun,
Kapur Vivek,
Libby Stephen J,
Barletta Raúl G,
Moxley Rodney A
Publication year - 1998
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.1574-6968.1998.tb13259.x
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , gene , biology , primer extension , transcriptional regulation , genetics , hemolysin , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , nucleotide , virulence
Escherichia coli K‐12 carries the cryptic hemolysin gene sheA which is under the control of positive and negative transcriptional regulators. The objectives of the present study were to further analyze the regulation of the sheA gene in E. coli , to compare the sheA genes from E. coli K‐12 and a pathogenic E. coli strain, and to characterize the SheA hemolytic activity. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the transcriptional regulator SlyA activates the E. coli K‐12 sheA gene. The main transcriptional start site of the sheA gene was 56 nucleotides upstream from the start codon as determined by primer extension analysis. The sheA genes from E. coli K‐12 and a pathogenic E. coli strain were identical. SheA hemolytic activity was cell associated and Ca 2+ independent.