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Cysteine Metabolism-Related Genes and Bacterial Resistance to Potassium Tellurite ^,

Facultad de Química y Biología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile,¹ Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc., Emeryville, California,² Department of Chemistry, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas³

Received 2 August 2007/ Accepted 5 October 2007

Tellurite exerts a deleterious effect on a number of small molecules containing sulfur moieties that have a recognized role in cellular oxidative stress. Because cysteine is involved in the biosynthesis of glutathione and other sulfur-containing compounds, we investigated the expression of Geobacillus stearothermophilus V cysteine-related genes cobA, cysK, and iscS and Escherichia coli cysteine regulon genes under conditions that included the addition of K₂TeO₃ to the culture medium. Results showed that cell tolerance to tellurite correlates with the expression level of the cysteine metabolic genes and that these genes are up-regulated when tellurite is present in the growth medium.

Published ahead of print on 19 October 2007.

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