TY  - JOUR
A1  - Heinrich, Antje Katharina
A1  - Glaeser, Angela
A1  - Tobias, Nicholas J.
A1  - Heermann, Ralf
A1  - Bode, Helge Björn
T1  - Heterogeneous regulation of bacterial natural product biosynthesis via a novel transcription factor
T2  - Heliyon
N2  - Biological diversity arises among genetically equal subpopulations in the same environment, a phenomenon called phenotypic heterogeneity. The life cycle of the enteric bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens involves a symbiotic interaction with nematodes as well as a pathogenic association with insect larvae. P. luminescens exists in two distinct phenotypic forms designated as primary (1°) and secondary (2°). In contrast to 1° cells, 2° cells are non-pigmented due to the absence of natural compounds, especially anthraquinones (AQs). We identified a novel type of transcriptional regulator, AntJ, which activates expression of the antA-I operon responsible for AQ production. AntJ heterogeneously activates the AQ production in single P. luminescens 1° cells, and blocks AQ production in 2° cells. AntJ contains a proposed ligand-binding WYL-domain, which is widespread among bacteria. AntJ is one of the rare examples of regulators that mediate heterogeneous gene expression by altering activity rather than copy number in single cells.
KW  - Cell biology
KW  - Microbiology
KW  - Genetics
Y1  - 2017
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/43678
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-436782
SN  - 2405-8440
N1  - © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
VL  - 2
IS  - 11, e00197
SP  - 1
EP  - 32
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - London [u. a.]
ER  -