Project description:The bacterial heat-shock response is regulated by the alternative sigma factor sigma 32 (RpoH), which responds to misfolded protein stress and directs the RNA polymerase to the promoterss for genes required for protein refolding or degradation. In P. aeruginosa, RpoH is essential for viability under laboratory growth conditions. Here, we used a transcriptomics approach to identify the genes of the RpoH regulon, including RpoH-regulated genes that are essential for P. aeruginosa. We placed the rpoH gene under control of the arabinose inducible PBAD promoter, then deleted the chromosomal rpoH allele. This allowed transcriptomic analysis of the RpoH regulon following a short up-shift in the cellular concentration of RpoH by arabinose addition, in the absence of a sudden increase in temperature. The P. aeruginosa ∆rpoH (PBAD-rpoH) strain grew in the absence of arabinose, indicating that some rpoH expression occurs without arabinose-induction. When arabinose was added, the rpoH mRNA abundance of P. aeruginosa ∆rpoH (PBAD-rpoH) measured by RT-qPCR increased fivefold within 15 min of arabinose addition. Whole genome transcriptome results showed that P. aeruginosa genes required for protein repair or degradation are induced by increased RpoH levels, and that many of the genes induced by RpoH are essential for P. aeruginosa growth. Other stress response genes induced by RpoH are involved in nucleic acid damage and repair and in amino acid metabolism. Annotation of the hypothetical proteins under RpoH control included proteins that may play a role in antibiotic resistances and in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis. The P. aeruginosa ∆rpoH (PBAD-rpoH) strain is impaired in its ability to survive during starvation compared to the wild-type strain. P. aeruginosa ∆rpoH (PBAD-rpoH) also has increased sensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotics, but not to other classes of antibiotics, whether cultured planktonically or in biofilms. The enhanced aminoglycoside resistance of the mutant strain may be due to indirect effects, such as the build-up of toxic misfolded proteins, or to the direct effect of genes such as aminoglycoside acetyl transferases that are regulated by RpoH. Overall, the results demonstrate that RpoH regulates genes that are essential for viability of P. aeruginosa, that it protects P. aeruginosa from damage from aminoglycoside antibiotics, and that it is required for survival during nutrient limiting conditions. We used Affymetrix microarrays to characterize the RpoH regulon in P. aeruginosa. Using the P. aeruginosa ∆rpoH strain with rpoH under control of the PBAD promoter, we were able to perform transcriptomic analysis of genes induced by a sudden increase (15 min) in the cellular concentration of RpoH, independent from a sudden increase in temperature.

Project description:The anaerobic metabolism of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is important for growth and survival during persistent infections. The two Fnr-type transcription factors Anr and Dnr regulate different parts of the underlying network. Both are proposed to bind to a non-distinguishable DNA sequence named Anr box. The aim of this study was the identification of genes induced under anaerobic conditions in the P. aeruginosa wild type and identification of genes under control of the Anr or Dnr regulators. We performed three comparisons to identify genes induced under anaerobic denitrifying conditions in the P. aeruginosa wild type strain and genes which are under control of the Anr or Dnr regulators under these anaerobic conditions. Since the anr and dnr mutant strains do not grow under anaerobic denitrifying conditions, we applied anaerobic shift experiments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was grown in a modified AB minimal medium, containing 25 ÂµM FeSO4, 20 mM glucose and 50 mM NaNO3. The 200 ml aerobic cultures were grown in 1 l Erlenmeyer flasks at 37 oC and 300 rpm. The aerobic culture was grown to an OD578 of 0.3. For the aerobic culture, cells were harvested at this point. For the anaerobic shift experiments 130 ml of the respective aerobic culture were transferred to a 135 ml sealed serum flask. Control experiments verified that oxygen tension decreased within 3 - 5 min below the detection limit of an oxygen electrode. The cells were harvested after incubation for additional 2h under anaerobic conditions. Within these 2h incubation period no growth of the wild type, the anr mutant or the dnr mutant strain was observed. First comparison: Identification of genes induced or repressed under anaerobic conditions in the P. aeruginosa wild type PAO1. Here we compared the transcriptome profile of P. aeruginosa PAO1 grown under aerobic conditions up to an OD578 of 0.3 with the transcriptome profile of the PAO1 strain, which was first grown under aerobic conditions up to an OD578 of 0.3 and than shifted to anaerobic conditions by transfer to a sealed serum flask and further incubated for two hours under anaerobic conditions. Second comparison: Identification of genes regulated differently in the anr mutant strain PAO6261. Here we compared the transcriptome profile of the P. aeruginosa wild type PAO1 with the transcriptome profile of the P. aeruginosa anr mutant strain PAO6261. Both strains were harvested after 2h incubation under anaerobic conditions. Third comparison: Identification of genes regulated differently in the dnr mutant strain RM536. Here we compared the transcriptome profile of the P. aeruginosa wild type PAO1 with the transcriptome profile of the P. aeruginosa dnr mutant strain RM536. Both strains were harvested after 2h incubation under anaerobic conditions.

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Identification of genes regulated by rpoH in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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