Bacterial Stress Responses What Doesnt Kill Them Can Make Them Stronger 英文参考文献.docVIP

Primer Bacterial Stress Responses: What Doesn’t Kill Them Can Make Them Stronger Kathryn J. Boor A n organism’s survival from moment to moment depends, at least in part, on its ability to sense and respond to changes in its environment. Mechanisms into new proteins. Sigma factors are dissociable subunits of prokaryotic RNA polymerase. When a sigma factor associates with a core RNA polymerase to form RNA polymerase holoenzyme, it directs the holoenzyme to recognize conserved DNA motifs called promoter sites (or regions) that precede gene sequences. Sigma factors also contribute to DNA strand separation, which is a critical step in transcription initiation. The sigma subunit dissociates from the RNA polymerase core enzyme shortly after transcription begins, thus becoming available for reassociation. Associations between different alternative sigma factors and core RNA polymerase essentially reprogram the ability of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme to recognize different promoter sequences and express entirely new sets of target genes. As the set of genes controlled by a single sigma factor (also known as the regulon) can number in the hundreds, sigma factors provide effective mechanisms for simultaneously regulating large numbers of prokaryotic genes. for responding to environmental changes are universally present in living beings. For example, when mammals perceive a sudden environmental change as threatening, a rush of adrenaline precipitates the well-known “?ght or ?ight” response. Such physiological stress responses in complex organisms require appropriately regulated interactions among numerous organ systems. But how do single-celled organisms respond to potentially lethal threats? The hope is that identifying speci?c mechanisms that contribute to microbial survival under rapidly changing conditions will provide insight into stress response systems across life forms. Bacteria—and especially those capable of persisting in diverse environments, such as Escherichia c