Open AccessThe Adaptive Response to Long-Term Nitrogen Starvation in Escherichia coli Requires the Breakdown of Allantoin
Author(s) -
Amy Switzer,
Lynn Burchell,
Josh McQuail,
Sivaramesh Wigneshweraraj
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.00172-20
Subject(s) - starvation , biology , escherichia coli , bacteria , transcriptome , nutrient , starvation response , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene , gene expression , genetics , ecology , endocrinology
Bacteria in their natural environments seldom encounter conditions that support continuous growth. Hence, many bacteria spend the majority of their time in states of little or no growth due to starvation of essential nutrients. To cope with prolonged periods of nutrient starvation, bacteria have evolved several strategies, primarily manifesting themselves through changes in how the information in their genes is accessed. How these coping strategies change over time under nutrient starvation is not well understood, and this knowledge is important not only to broaden our understanding of bacterial cell function but also to potentially find ways to manage harmful bacteria. This study provides insights into how nitrogen-starved Escherichia coli bacteria rely on different genes during long-term nitrogen starvation.