IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-019-13764-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

YtfK activates the stringent response by triggering the alarmone synthetase SpoT in Escherichia coli

Author

Listed:
  • Elsa Germain

    (Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283))

  • Paul Guiraud

    (Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283))

  • Deborah Byrne

    (Protein Expression Facility, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ)

  • Badreddine Douzi

    (Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283)
    Université de Lorraine, Inra, DynAMic)

  • Meriem Djendli

    (Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283))

  • Etienne Maisonneuve

    (Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283))

Abstract

The stringent response is a general bacterial stress response that allows bacteria to adapt and survive adverse conditions. This reprogramming of cell physiology is caused by the accumulation of the alarmone (p)ppGpp which, in Escherichia coli, depends on the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the bifunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase SpoT. Although conditions that control SpoT-dependent (p)ppGpp accumulation have been described, the molecular mechanisms regulating the switching from (p)ppGpp degradation to synthesis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the protein YtfK promotes SpoT-dependent accumulation of (p)ppGpp in E. coli and is required for activation of the stringent response during phosphate and fatty acid starvation. Our results indicate that YtfK can interact with SpoT. We propose that YtfK activates the stringent response by tilting the catalytic balance of SpoT toward (p)ppGpp synthesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Elsa Germain & Paul Guiraud & Deborah Byrne & Badreddine Douzi & Meriem Djendli & Etienne Maisonneuve, 2019. "YtfK activates the stringent response by triggering the alarmone synthetase SpoT in Escherichia coli," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13764-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13764-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13764-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-13764-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13764-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.