Exit from dormancy in bacteria
Event details
| Date | 01.10.2010 |
| Speaker | Jonathan Dworkin, Columbia University, NY |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Bacteria can enter a metabolically inactive state of dormancy that facilitates survival under conditions unfavorable to growth and provide phenotypic resistance to many anti-microbials. This state comes at a cost, though, as inactive cells run the risk of being outcompeted by their neighbors. The decision to halt or reinitiate growth must therefore be carefully regulated. We have found that exit from dormancy (germination) in the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis in response to peptidoglycan muropeptides is dependent on PrkC, a eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr membrane kinase. Since muropeptides are released by dividing bacteria, their presence serves as a signal that the environment supports bacterial growth. We further found that early in germination, the PrkC kinase phosphorylates Elongation Factor G (EF-G), the essential translation GTPase necessary for mRNA translocation. Since this kinase is broadly conserved, phosphorylation of EF-G in non-growing cells of diverse bacteria may stimulate their growth.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- John McKinney
Contact
- John McKinney