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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.





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