Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1996 Feb;178(4):1204–1206. doi: 10.1128/jb.178.4.1204-1206.1996

Osmotic shock induction of capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12.

D D Sledjeski 1, S Gottesman 1
PMCID: PMC177786  PMID: 8576059

Abstract

The genes (cps) involved in the synthesis of the colanic acid capsular polysaccharide in Escherichia coli K-12 are transcriptionally regulated by numerous proteins. Two of these, RcsB and RcsC, share homology with two-component regulatory elements that respond to environmental stimuli. Osmotic shock by sucrose or NaCl transiently increased transcription of a cpsB::lacZ fusion. RcsC and RcsB were essential for osmotic induction of colanic acid synthesis. In contrast to observations in some other osmotically regulated systems, addition of glycine betaine enhanced the osmotic induction of cps::lacZ by both sucrose and NaCl but had no effect alone.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (177.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Asha H., Gowrishankar J. Regulation of kdp operon expression in Escherichia coli: evidence against turgor as signal for transcriptional control. J Bacteriol. 1993 Jul;175(14):4528–4537. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.14.4528-4537.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brill J. A., Quinlan-Walshe C., Gottesman S. Fine-structure mapping and identification of two regulators of capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1988 Jun;170(6):2599–2611. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.6.2599-2611.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Garegg P. J., Lindberg B., Onn T., Sutherland I. W. Comparative structural studies on the M-antigen from Salmonella typhimurium. Escherichia coli and Aerobacter cloacae. Acta Chem Scand. 1971;25(6):2103–2108. doi: 10.3891/acta.chem.scand.25-2103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gottesman S., Stout V. Regulation of capsular polysaccharide synthesis in Escherichia coli K12. Mol Microbiol. 1991 Jul;5(7):1599–1606. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb01906.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Grant W. D., Sutherland I. W., Wilkinson J. F. Exopolysaccharide colanic acid and its occurrence in the Enterobacteriaceae. J Bacteriol. 1969 Dec;100(3):1187–1193. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.3.1187-1193.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Laimins L. A., Rhoads D. B., Epstein W. Osmotic control of kdp operon expression in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Jan;78(1):464–468. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.1.464. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ophir T., Gutnick D. L. A role for exopolysaccharides in the protection of microorganisms from desiccation. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 Feb;60(2):740–745. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.2.740-745.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Painbéni E., Mouray E., Gottesman S., Rouvière-Yaniv J. An imbalance of HU synthesis induces mucoidy in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1993 Dec 20;234(4):1021–1037. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.1993.1656. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Parker C. T., Kloser A. W., Schnaitman C. A., Stein M. A., Gottesman S., Gibson B. W. Role of the rfaG and rfaP genes in determining the lipopolysaccharide core structure and cell surface properties of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1992 Apr;174(8):2525–2538. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.8.2525-2538.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sledjeski D., Gottesman S. A small RNA acts as an antisilencer of the H-NS-silenced rcsA gene of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995 Mar 14;92(6):2003–2007. doi: 10.1073/pnas.92.6.2003. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Stout V., Gottesman S. RcsB and RcsC: a two-component regulator of capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1990 Feb;172(2):659–669. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.2.659-669.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stout V., Torres-Cabassa A., Maurizi M. R., Gutnick D., Gottesman S. RcsA, an unstable positive regulator of capsular polysaccharide synthesis. J Bacteriol. 1991 Mar;173(5):1738–1747. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.5.1738-1747.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sugiura A., Hirokawa K., Nakashima K., Mizuno T. Signal-sensing mechanisms of the putative osmosensor KdpD in Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol. 1994 Dec;14(5):929–938. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01328.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sutherland L., Cairney J., Elmore M. J., Booth I. R., Higgins C. F. Osmotic regulation of transcription: induction of the proU betaine transport gene is dependent on accumulation of intracellular potassium. J Bacteriol. 1986 Nov;168(2):805–814. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.2.805-814.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Torres-Cabassa A. S., Gottesman S. Capsule synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12 is regulated by proteolysis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Mar;169(3):981–989. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.3.981-989.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Walderhaug M. O., Polarek J. W., Voelkner P., Daniel J. M., Hesse J. E., Altendorf K., Epstein W. KdpD and KdpE, proteins that control expression of the kdpABC operon, are members of the two-component sensor-effector class of regulators. J Bacteriol. 1992 Apr;174(7):2152–2159. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.7.2152-2159.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Yancey P. H., Clark M. E., Hand S. C., Bowlus R. D., Somero G. N. Living with water stress: evolution of osmolyte systems. Science. 1982 Sep 24;217(4566):1214–1222. doi: 10.1126/science.7112124. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Yim H. H., Villarejo M. osmY, a new hyperosmotically inducible gene, encodes a periplasmic protein in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1992 Jun;174(11):3637–3644. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.11.3637-3644.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES