The
ability of pathogens to multiply in the host is crucial for the spread of
infections. The speed of bacterial division greatly depends on the
environmental conditions. Under unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient
deficiency, bacteria tend to pause after division and reproduce more slowly.
But how do bacteria know, when it is time to enter the next round of cell
division?
A
team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, led by Prof. Urs Jenal has
now identified a central switch for reproduction in the model bacterium
Caulobacter crescentus: the signaling molecule c-di-GMP.
Under
favorable living conditions, newborn bacteria begin to produce the signaling
molecule -- this starts the clock ticking. The initially low c-di-GMP level
activates a first kinase. This activates the expression of over 100 genes,
which drive the cell towards division and boost the production of c-di-GMP.
The
resulting peak levels of c-di-GMP finally stimulate the last wheel of the
machinery, also a kinase.
See:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)
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