Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2009 · 89 citations · 32 references
Life SciencesGeneticsMolecular BiologyGene RegulationMicrobial GeneticsTranscriptional RegulationBacterial Gene RegulationBacterial SurvivalDna DamageOxidative StressStress-responsive Gene RegulationTranscriptional Regulation In ProkaryotesAlternative Sigma Factor RegulationAlternative Sigma FactorsDamage-induced Transcriptional ResponsesDna Damage Response PathwaysDna Damage ResponsesEscherichia ColiOxidative Dna DamageSigma Factor Function
We isolated an Escherichia coli mutant in the iraD gene, sensitive to various forms of DNA damage. Our data are consistent with the function of IraD to promote accumulation of the alternative transcription sigma factor, RpoS, by binding to the adaptor RssB protein that targets RpoS for degradation. Our results demonstrate the physiological importance of this mode of regulation for DNA damage tolerance. Although RpoS is best known for its regulation of genes induced in stationary phase, our work underscores the importance of the RpoS regulon in a DNA damage response in actively growing cells. We show that iraD transcription is induced by DNA damage by a mechanism independent of the SOS response. The IraD and SOS regulatory pathways appear to act synergistically to ensure survival of cells faced with oxidative or DNA damaging stress during cellular growth.
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