This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kolodkin-Gal, I.
Right arrow Articles by Engelberg-Kulka, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kolodkin-Gal, I.
Right arrow Articles by Engelberg-Kulka, H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, May 2008, p. 3169-3175, Vol. 190, No. 9
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01918-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Extracellular Death Factor: Physiological and Genetic Factors Influencing Its Production and Response in Escherichia coli{triangledown}

Ilana Kolodkin-Gal and Hanna Engelberg-Kulka*

Department of Molecular Biology, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel

Received 9 December 2007/ Accepted 19 February 2008

Gene pairs specific for a toxin and its antitoxin are called toxin-antitoxin modules and are found on the chromosomes of many bacteria. The most studied of these modules is Escherichia coli mazEF, in which mazF encodes a stable toxin, MazF, and mazE encodes a labile antitoxin, MazE, which prevents the lethal effect of MazF. In a previous report from this laboratory, it was shown that mazEF-mediated cell death is a population phenomenon requiring a quorum-sensing peptide called the extracellular death factor (EDF). EDF is the linear pentapeptide NNWNN (32). Here, we further confirm that EDF is a signal molecule in a mixed population. In addition, we characterize some physiological conditions and genes required for EDF production and response. Furthermore, stress response and the gene specifying MazEF, the Zwf (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) gene, and the protease ClpXP are critical in EDF production. Significant strain differences in EDF production and response explain variations in the induction of mazEF-mediated cell death.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular Biology, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. Phone: 972-2-6758250. Fax: 972-2-678-4010. E-mail: hanita{at}cc.huji.ac.il

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 29 February 2008.

Journal of Bacteriology, May 2008, p. 3169-3175, Vol. 190, No. 9
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01918-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Harrison, J. J., Wade, W. D., Akierman, S., Vacchi-Suzzi, C., Stremick, C. A., Turner, R. J., Ceri, H. (2009). The Chromosomal Toxin Gene yafQ Is a Determinant of Multidrug Tolerance for Escherichia coli Growing in a Biofilm. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 2253-2258 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»