Chromosomal position shift of a regulatory gene alters the bacterial phenotype.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies strongly suggest that in bacterial cells the order of genes along the chromosomal origin-to-terminus axis is determinative for regulation of the growth phase-dependent gene expression. The prediction from this observation is that positional displacement of pleiotropic genes will affect the genetic regulation and hence, the cellular phenotype. To test this prediction we inserted the origin-proximal dusB-fis operon encoding the global regulator FIS in the vicinity of replication terminus on both arms of the Escherichia coli chromosome. We found that the lower fis gene dosage in the strains with terminus-proximal dusB-fis operons was compensated by increased fis expression such that the intracellular concentration of FIS was homeostatically adjusted. Nevertheless, despite uncha

SUBMITTER: Gerganova V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4751926 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature