AtfA, a new factor in global regulation of transcription in Acinetobacter spp. Issue 6 (31st July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Withers, Ryan; Doherty, Geoff P.; Jordan, Matthew; Yang, Xiao; Dixon, Nicholas E.; Lewis, Peter J.
• Is Part Of: Molecular microbiology. Volume 93:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 1130
• Page End: 1143
• Publication Date: 2014-07-31
• Subjects: Molecular microbiology -- Periodicals; 572.829
• DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12723
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-382X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <italic>A</italic> <italic>cinetobacter</italic> species are widely distributed bacteria in the environment, and have recently gained notoriety as opportunistic nosocomial pathogens. Here we characterize a novel RNA polymerase‐interacting protein named acidic transcription factor A, AtfA. It is small and highly acidic, and is widely distributed throughout the γ proteobacteria, including other significant pathogens in the genera <italic>M</italic><italic>oraxella</italic>, <italic>P</italic><italic>seudomonas</italic>, <italic>L</italic><italic>egionella</italic> and <italic>V</italic><italic>ibrio</italic>. In the model species <italic>A</italic><italic>. baylyi</italic> ADP1, deletion of <italic>atfA</italic> significantly affects expression of over 500 genes, resulting in a large cell phenotype, reduced cell fitness, impaired biofilm formation and twitching motility, and increased sensitivity to antibiotics. Deletion of <italic>atfA</italic> also causes dramatically enhanced sensitivity to ethanol, which is an important growth promoter and virulence factor in <italic>A</italic><italic>cinetobacter</italic> spp. The results suggest that auxiliary factors of RNA polymerase with important biological roles remain to be discovered.</p> </abstract>