Involvement of the Mannose Phosphotransferase System of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 in Peroxide Stress Tolerance

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2010-06, Vol.76 (11), p.3748-3752
• Main Authors: Stevens, Marc J.A, Molenaar, Douwe, de Jong, Anne, de Vos, Willem M, Kleerebezem, Michiel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antibacterial properties; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Experiments; Gene Deletion; gene expression; gene expression regulation; Genes; Genetics; Genetics and Molecular Biology; glucose; kinases; lactate utilization; lactic-acid bacteria; Lactobacillus plantarum; Lactobacillus plantarum - drug effects; Lactobacillus plantarum - enzymology; mannose; Molecular Sequence Data; mutants; Mutation; Operon; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen; peroxides; Peroxides - toxicity; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) - genetics; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) - metabolism; RNA Polymerase Sigma 54 - deficiency; sigma factors; stress response; stress tolerance; Stress, Physiological; transcriptome
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336; 1098-6596
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00073-10

A Lactobacillus plantarum strain with a deletion in the gene rpoN, encoding the alternative sigma factor 54 (σ⁵⁴), displayed a 100-fold-higher sensitivity to peroxide than its parental strain. This feature could be due to σ⁵⁴-dependent regulation of genes involved in the peroxide stress response. However, transcriptome analyses of the wild type and the mutant strain during peroxide exposure did not support such a role for σ⁵⁴. Subsequent experiments revealed that the impaired expression of the mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS) operon in the rpoN mutant caused the observed increased peroxide sensitivity.