J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 280, Issue 16, 99918, April 22, 2005
Bacteria Prepare for Better Times
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As carbon source quality decreases, E. coli gene activation increases.
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The ideal food source for E. coli is glucose. But what happens when only lesser sugars are available? Mingzhu Liu and colleagues have answered this question by comparing the gene expression profiles of E. coli grown on glucose and five poorer carbon sources. Their results were surprising. Rather than maximizing expression of genes needed to utilize their current food source, the bacteria started expressing genes needed to break down other better carbon sources.
Specifically, Liu et al. found that as carbon source quality declined, the bacteria initialized a much broader transcription program including up-regulating many genes needed to utilize unavailable compounds. Not only did the bacteria start preparing for better food, they also increased their expression of genes needed for mobility in order to actively search out better conditions. Thus, as their environmental growth potential decreased, the cells devoted more energy to the mere possibility of improving their conditions.
FOOTNOTES
See referenced article, J. Biol. Chem. 2005, 280, 15921-15927 
Copyright © 2005 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
