Poster abstracts

Poster number 57 submitted by Peng Wang

Global change of gene expression and cell physiology in YidC-depleted E. coli.

Peng Wang (OSBP), Andreas Kuhn, Ross E. Dalbey

Abstract:
YidC depletion affects membrane protein insertion and leads to a defect in the growth of the E. coli cell. We analyzed global changes in gene expression upon YidC depletion to determine the importance of YidC for cellular functions. We used a gene-chip method to compare the transcriptome of JS71 (control) and JS7131 (yidC depletion strain). Of the more than 4300 identified genes, 163 were up-regulated and 99 genes down-regulated upon YidC depletion, including genes which are responsible for DNA/RNA repair, energy metabolism, various transporters, proteases and chaperones, stress response and translation and transcription functions. Real-time PCR was performed on selected genes to confirm the results. Specifically, we found up-regulation of the genes encoding the energy transduction proteins F1Fo ATP synthase and cytochrome bo3 oxidase due to perturbation in the assembly when YidC was depleted. We also determined that the high level induction of the PspA stress protein under YidC depletion conditions is roughly 10-fold higher than the activation due to the addition of protonophore CCCP which dissipates the proton motive force. In addition, the gene chip data reveals the Cpx stress pathway is activated upon YidC depletion. The data clearly show that YidC plays a central role for a number of cellular processes and functions.

Keywords: yidC, membrane protein, stress response