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Effect of anaerobic and stationary phase growth conditions on the heat shock and oxidative stress responses in Escherichia coli K-12

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Abstract

The natural living style of Escherichia coli occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, where most of its existence is spent under anaerobic conditions and in stationary phase of growth. Here we report on the heat shock response of E. coli K-12 cells growing in the presence or absence of oxygen. An rpoH mutant (impaired in the synthesis of the σ32 transcriptional factor) exhibited an increased sensitivity to heat shock but only in the exponential phase of aerobic growth, suggesting that in anaerobic growth conditions, and in aerobic stationary phase, σ32-independent mechanisms are playing a prime role in protecting cells from heat stress. Our results demonstrated that σS is not involved in this protection system. Studies on the kinetics of synthesis of Heat shock proteins (Hsp) after an abrupt rise in temperature demonstrated that in the absence of oxygen, the synthesis of Hsp is triggered faster and is sustained for a longer period of time compared to aerobic growth conditions. Finally, the heated cells in the exponential phase of aerobic growth displayed a high concentration of oxidatively damaged proteins in the presence of 4 mM H2O2, in sharp contrast to cultures of stationary phase or anaerobic growth.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants 42580-Q from CONACYT (Mexico), and 207703 from PAPIIT-UNAM (Mexico). Technical assistance from Miguel Páez is greatly appreciated. We thank members of the Membrillo-Hernández lab for helpful advises and Peter Lund for plasmid pAJW5. This paper is the manuscript #1 of the multi-group project on oxidative stress of the Biomedical Research Institute (UNAM).

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  1. Laboratorio de Microbiología y Genética Molecular, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 70-228, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alondra Díaz-Acosta, María L. Sandoval, Luis Delgado-Olivares & Jorge Membrillo-Hernández

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  1. Alondra Díaz-Acosta
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  2. María L. Sandoval
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  3. Luis Delgado-Olivares
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  4. Jorge Membrillo-Hernández
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Correspondence to Jorge Membrillo-Hernández.

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Díaz-Acosta, A., Sandoval, M.L., Delgado-Olivares, L. et al. Effect of anaerobic and stationary phase growth conditions on the heat shock and oxidative stress responses in Escherichia coli K-12. Arch Microbiol 185, 429–438 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-006-0113-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-006-0113-9

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