A Genome-Wide Search for Ionizing-Radiation-Responsive Elements in Deinococcus radiodurans Reveals a Regulatory Role for the DNA Gyrase Subunit A Gene's 5′ Untranslated Region in the Radiation and Desiccation Response
Abstract
Tight regulation of gene expression is important for the survival of Deinococcus radiodurans , a model bacterium of extreme stress resistance. Few studies have examined the use of regulatory RNAs as a possible contributing mechanism to ionizing radiation (IR) resistance, despite their proffered efficient and dynamic gene expression regulation under IR stress. This work presents a transcriptome-based approach for the identification of stress-responsive regulatory 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) elements in D. radiodurans R1 that can be broadly applied to other bacteria. Using this platform and an in vivo fluorescence screen, we uncovered the presence of a radiation-responsive regulatory motif in the 5′ UTR of the DNA gyrase subunit A gene. Additional screens under H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress revealed the specificity of the response of this element to IR stress. Further examination of the sequence revealed a regulatory motif of the radiation and desiccation response (RDR) in the 5′ UTR that is necessary for the recovery of D. radiodurans from high doses of IR. Furthermore, we suggest that it is the preservation of predicted RNA structure, in addition to DNA sequence consensus of the motif, that permits this important regulatory ability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1128/aem.00039-17
Entities
People
- Arijit Bhuyan
- Jordan K. Villa
- Justin Janovsky
- Lydia M Contreras
- Paul Amador
- Roland Saldanha
- Thomas J. Lamkin
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Robert A. Welch Foundation
- University of Texas at Austin