Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of the locus of enterocyte effacement in Escherichia albertii

In this study we characterized the very first transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulators of the LEE in this emerging pathogen. Our results suggest that Ler and GrlA globally activate transcription from the LEE, whereas GrlR negatively regulates the LEE. Additionally, we demonstrate that the RNA chaperone Hfq posttranscriptionally represses the LEE by specifically targeting the 5’ UTR of grlR. In summary, our findings provide the very first glimpse of the regulatory landscape of the LEE in E. albertii – a bacterium that has been implicated in multiple diarrheal outbreaks worldwide.
Source: Microbial Pathogenesis - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research