A cka-gfp Transcriptional Fusion Reveals that the Colicin K Activity Gene Is Induced in Only 3 Percent of the Population
| Autor: | Alojz Ihan, Andreja Nataša Kopitar, Darja Zgur-Bertok, Zdravko Podlesek, Janez Mulec, Peter Mrak |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2003 |
| Předmět: |
Transcription
Genetic Recombinant Fusion Proteins Population Green Fluorescent Proteins Repressor Colicins Genetics and Molecular Biology Biology medicine.disease_cause Microbiology Bacterial Proteins Transcription (biology) Gene expression medicine Escherichia coli education Molecular Biology Gene Regulation of gene expression education.field_of_study Escherichia coli Proteins Serine Endopeptidases Gene Expression Regulation Bacterial Molecular biology Repressor Proteins Luminescent Proteins Colicin bacteria |
| Popis: | In prokaryotes, only a few examples of differential gene expression in cell populations have been described. Colicin production in natural populations of Escherichia coli , while providing a competitive advantage in the natural habitat, also leads to lysis of the toxin-producing cell. Colicin K synthesis has been found to be induced due to an increase in ppGpp (I. Kuhar, J. P. van Putten, D. Žgur-Bertok, W. Gaastra, and B. J. Jordi, Mol. Microbiol. 41: 207-216). Using two transcriptional fusions, cka-gfp and cki-gfp , we show that at the single-cell level, the colicin K activity gene cka is expressed in only 3% of the bacterial population upon induction by nutrient starvation. In contrast, the immunity gene cki is expressed in the large majority of the cells. Expression of the cka-gfp fusion in a lexA -defective strain and in a relA spoT mutant strain indicates that differential expression of cka is established primarily at the level of transcription. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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