IBR   13079
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR Y CELULAR DE ROSARIO
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Discovering new Zur target genes in the Salmonella genome
Autor/es:
SCAMPOLI, N. L.; CHECA, S. K.; SONCINI, F. C.
Lugar:
Rosario
Reunión:
Congreso; L Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2014
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular
Resumen:
Zinc (Zn) is required as a cofactor in many crucial biological processes, but is also toxic. In consequence, maintaining intracellular Zn levels is critical for survival. Restriction to Zn access is one of the mechanisms used by mammals to prevent infections caused by bacterial pathogens, a process termed nutritional immunity. Escherichia coli uses two conserved transcription factors to tightly control Zn homeostasis, the Zur repressor, that controls Zn uptake in conditions of deprivation, and ZntR that induced resistance at high Zn concentrations. Both regulatory mechanisms are conserved in the enterobacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica. A small number of genes were described under the control of Zur in this pathogen, including znuABC, coding for a high-affinity zinc uptake system, and zinT, coding for a periplasmic Zn chaperone. These genes were shown to affect Salmonella?s virulence. To better understand the mechanisms used by Salmonella to control Zn homeostasis, especially during Zn deprivation, we underwent a series of in silico and genetic screenings to identify other members of the Salmonella Zur regulon. We detect new genes under the control of this repressor and identify a hierarchical induction mechanism that allows Salmonella to cope with Zn deficiency.