Characterization of the micA gene encoding a small regulatory σE-dependent RNA in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

• Published in: Folia microbiologica Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 59 - 65
• Main Authors: Homerova, D., Rezuchova, B., Stevenson, A., Skovierova, H., Roberts, M., Kormanec, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2011
• Subjects: Animals; Applied Microbiology; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Base Sequence; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Immunology; Life Sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; RNA, Bacterial - genetics; RNA, Bacterial - metabolism; RNA, Untranslated - genetics; RNA, Untranslated - metabolism; Salmonella Infections - microbiology; Salmonella typhimurium - genetics; Salmonella typhimurium - metabolism; Salmonella typhimurium - pathogenicity; Sigma Factor - genetics; Sigma Factor - metabolism; Virulence; Major Outer Membrane Protein; Outer Membrane Protein; Primer Extension Analysis; lacZ Reporter Gene; Acid Stress
• ISSN: 0015-5632; 1874-9356
• DOI: 10.1007/s12223-011-0014-4

The role of MicA (repressing small regulatory non-coding RNAs of two Salmonella porins) was determined in virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Transcriptional analysis revealed that the expression of the micA gene is driven by a single σ E -dependent promoter, micAp . Its activity increased towards stationary phase; in exponential phase, the activity was induced by several stresses by a DegS-dependent mechanism. Although phenotypic analysis revealed no significant differences between wild-type and the micA mutant strains, in vivo studies showed that this mutant is more virulent in the mouse model.