School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Maudland Building, Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.
Mol Cell Biochem. 2010 Sep;342(1-2):207-13. doi: 10.1007/s11010-010-0485-7. Epub 2010 May 18.
Flexibility of gene expression in bacteria permits its survival in varied environments. The genetic adaptation of bacteria through systematized gene expression is not only important, but also clinically relevant in their ability to grow biofilms in stress environments. Stress responses enable their survival under more severe conditions, enhanced resistance and/or virulence. In Escherichia coli (E. coli), two of the possible important genes for biofilm growth are rpoS and bolA gene. RpoS is also called as a master regulator of general stress response. Even though many studies have revealed the importance of rpoS in planktonic cells, little is known about the functions of rpoS in biofilms. In contrast, bolA which is a morphogene in E. coli is overexpressed under stressed environments resulting in round morphology. The hypothesis is that bolA could be implicated in biofilm development. This study reviewed the literature with the aim of understanding the stress tolerance response of E. coli in relation with rpoS and bolA genes in different environmental conditions including heat shock, cold shock, and stress in response to oxidation, acidic condition and in presence of cadmium. Knowledge of the genetic regulation of biofilm formation may lead to the understanding of the factors that drive the bacteria to switch to the biofilm mode of growth.
细菌基因表达的灵活性使其能够在各种环境中生存。细菌通过系统的基因表达进行遗传适应不仅重要，而且在其在应激环境中形成生物膜的能力方面也具有临床相关性。应激反应使它们能够在更恶劣的条件下生存，增强了它们的抵抗力和/或毒力。在大肠杆菌（E. coli）中，两个可能对生物膜生长很重要的基因是 rpoS 和 bolA 基因。RpoS 也被称为一般应激反应的主要调节因子。尽管许多研究已经揭示了 rpoS 在浮游细胞中的重要性，但对 rpoS 在生物膜中的功能知之甚少。相比之下，bolA 是大肠杆菌中的形态基因，在应激环境下过度表达会导致形态呈圆形。假设 bolA 可能与生物膜的形成有关。本研究综述了文献，旨在了解大肠杆菌在不同环境条件下（包括热冲击、冷冲击以及对氧化、酸性条件和镉存在的应激反应）与 rpoS 和 bolA 基因有关的应激耐受反应。对生物膜形成的遗传调控的了解可能有助于理解促使细菌转变为生物膜生长模式的因素。
