Identification and characterization of a direct activator of a gene transfer agent

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Description

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are thought to be ancient bacteriophages that have been co-opted into serving their host and can now transfer any gene between bacteria. Production of GTAs is controlled by several global regulators through unclear mechanisms. In <jats:italic>Rhodobacter capsulatus</jats:italic>, gene <jats:italic>rcc01865</jats:italic> encodes a putative regulatory protein that is essential for GTA production. Here, I show that <jats:italic>rcc01865</jats:italic> (hereafter <jats:italic>gafA</jats:italic>) encodes a transcriptional regulator that binds to the GTA promoter to initiate production of structural and DNA packaging components. Expression of <jats:italic>gafA</jats:italic> is in turn controlled by the pleiotropic regulator protein CtrA and the quorum-sensing regulator GtaR. GafA and CtrA work together to promote GTA maturation and eventual release through cell lysis. Identification of GafA as a direct GTA regulator allows the first integrated regulatory model to be proposed and paves the way for discovery of GTAs in other species that possess <jats:italic>gafA</jats:italic> homologues.</jats:p>

Journal

  • Nature Communications

    Nature Communications 10 (1), 595-, 2019-02-05

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

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