| Title | ppGpp: Stringent Response and Survival |
|---|---|
| Author | Vikas Jain, Manish Kumar, and Dipankar Chatterji* |
| Address | Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India. |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 44(1),1-10, 2006, |
| DOI | |
| Key Words | Rel protein, stringent response, (p)ppGpp, omega subunit |
| Abstract | Adaptation to any undesirable change in the environment dictates the survivability of many microorganisms, with such changes generating a quick and suitable response, which guides the physiology of bacteria. During nutritional deprivation, bacteria show a stringent response, as characterized by the accumulation of (p)ppGpp, resulting in the repression of stable RNA species, such as rRNA and tRNA, with a concomitant change in colony morphology. However, genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis become over-expressed to help bacteria survive under such conditions. The survivability of pathogenic bacteria inside a host cell also depends upon the stringent response demonstrated. Therefore, an understanding of the physiology of stringent conditions becomes very interesting in regulation of the growth and persistence of such invading pathogens. |
| Download PDF | 02 JM2005-160.pdf |