1. The Bacterial Mfd Protein Prevents DNA Damage Induced by the Host Nitrogen Immune Response in a NER-Independent but RecBC-Dependent Pathway.
- Author
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Darrigo C, Guillemet E, Dervyn R, and Ramarao N
- Subjects
- Animals, Bacillus cereus drug effects, Bacillus cereus genetics, Bacillus cereus physiology, Bacterial Proteins genetics, HeLa Cells, Humans, Mice, Microbial Viability, Mutation, Nitric Oxide metabolism, RAW 264.7 Cells, Transcription Factors deficiency, Transcription Factors genetics, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, DNA Damage, DNA Repair drug effects, Exodeoxyribonuclease V metabolism, Host-Pathogen Interactions genetics, Host-Pathogen Interactions immunology, Nitrogen pharmacology, Transcription Factors metabolism
- Abstract
Production of reactive nitrogen species is an important component of the host immune defence against bacteria. Here, we show that the bacterial protein Mfd (Mutation frequency decline), a highly conserved and ubiquitous bacterial protein involved in DNA repair, confers bacterial resistance to the eukaryotic nitrogen response produced by macrophage cells and during mice infection. In addition, we show that RecBC is also necessary to survive this stress. The inactivation of recBC and mfd genes is epistatic showing that Mfd follows the RecBC repair pathway to protect the bacteria against the genotoxic effect of nitrite. Surprisingly given the role of Mfd in transcription-coupled repair, UvrA is not necessary to survive the nitrite response. Taken together, our data reveal that during the eukaryotic nitrogen response, Mfd is required to maintain bacterial genome integrity in a NER-independent but RecBC-dependent pathway., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2016
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