Guaranteeing a captive audience: coordinated regulation of gene transfer agent (GTA) production and recipient capability by cellular regulators.

Guaranteeing a captive audience: coordinated regulation of gene transfer agent (GTA) production and recipient capability by cellular regulators.
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2017 Jun 06;38:122-129
Authors: Westbye AB, Beatty JT, Lang AS
Abstract
Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are bacteriophage-like particles produced by many prokaryotes. Several members of the Alphaproteobacteria produce a class of genetically-related GTAs that is best studied in Rhodobacter capsulatus. DNA transfer by the R. capsulatus GTA (RcGTA) combines aspects of both transduction and natural transformation, as recipient cells require a natural transformation-like system to incorporate donated DNA. The genes involved in RcGTA production and recipient capability are located at multiple loci in the bacterial genome; however, a conserved phosphorelay containing the response regulator CtrA and a quorum sensing system regulate both RcGTA production and recipient capability. This review highlights recent discoveries in RcGTA biology, and focuses on the co-regulation of genes involved in RcGTA production and recipient capability.
PMID: 28599143 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Current Opinion in Microbiology - June 6, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Westbye AB, Beatty JT, Lang AS Tags: Curr Opin Microbiol Source Type: research