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Integrating small molecule signalling and H ‐ NS antagonism in V ibrio cholerae , a bacterium with two chromosomes
Author(s) -
Dorman Charles J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/mmi.13063
Subject(s) - vibrio cholerae , biology , biofilm , nucleoid , gene , virulence , transcription (linguistics) , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , escherichia coli , linguistics , philosophy
Summary H‐ NS is a well‐established silencer of virulence gene transcription in the human pathogen V ibrio cholerae. Biofilm formation aids V . cholerae in colonizing both its host and its external environments, and H ‐ NS silences biofilm gene expression. Cyclic‐di‐guanosine monophosphate acts through the DNA binding proteins VpsR and VpsT to overcome H ‐ NS ‐mediated repression of biofilm genes, driving a transition between a planktonic and a colonial/biofilm lifestyle. The H ‐ NS binding pattern has now been charted on both chromosomes in V . cholerae , but whether or not this abundant DNA ‐binding‐and‐bridging protein plays any roles in nucleoid organization in this bacterium remains an open question.