Dahl John L, Arora Kriti, Boshoff Helena I, Whiteford Danelle C, Pacheco Sophia A, Walsh Olaus J, Lau-Bonilla Dalia, Davis William B, Garza Anthony G
School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Science Hall, Room 301, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
J Bacteriol. 2005 Apr;187(7):2439-47. doi: 10.1128/JB.187.7.2439-2447.2005.
The modification of metabolic pathways to allow for a dormant lifestyle appears to be an important feature for the survival of pathogenic bacteria within their host. One regulatory mechanism for persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections is the stringent response. In this study, we analyze the stringent response of a nonpathogenic, saprophytic mycobacterial species, Mycobacterium smegmatis. The use of M. smegmatis as a tool for studying the mycobacterial stringent response was demonstrated by measuring the expression of two M. tuberculosis genes, hspX and eis, in M. smegmatis in the presence and absence of rel(Msm). The stringent response plays a role in M. smegmatis cellular and colony formation that is suggestive of changes in the bacterial cell wall structure.
代谢途径的改变以适应休眠状态似乎是病原菌在宿主体内存活的一个重要特征。持续性结核分枝杆菌感染的一种调节机制是严紧反应。在本研究中,我们分析了一种非致病性腐生分枝杆菌——耻垢分枝杆菌的严紧反应。通过在有无rel(Msm)的情况下测量耻垢分枝杆菌中两个结核分枝杆菌基因hspX和eis的表达,证明了使用耻垢分枝杆菌作为研究分枝杆菌严紧反应的工具。严紧反应在耻垢分枝杆菌的细胞和菌落形成中起作用,这表明细菌细胞壁结构发生了变化。