The relA homolog of Mycobacterium smegmatis affects cell appearance, viability, and gene expression

John L. Dahl, Kriti Arora, Helena I. Boshoff, Danelle C. Whiteford, Sophia A. Pacheco, Olaus J. Walsh, Dalia Lau-Bonilla, William B. Davis, Anthony G. Garza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

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 relMsm. The stringent response plays a role in M. smegmatis cellular and colony formation that is suggestive of changes in the bacterial cell wall structure.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2439-2447
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of bacteriology
Volume187
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2005

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