Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), encoded by the pnp gene, is known to degrade mRNA, mediating post-transcriptional regulation and may affect cellular functions. The role of PNPase is pleiotropic. As orthologs of the two major ribonucleases (RNase E and RNase II) of Escherichia coli are missing in the Campylobacter jejuni genome, in the current study the focus has been on the C. jejuni ort...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify changes in the gene expression profile of Streptococcus pneumoniae in response to a subinhibitory concentration of penicillin in an effort to better understand mechanisms by which this organism copes with this stress. METHODS S. pneumoniae serotype 2 strain D39 was grown for 1 h in the presence or absence of penicillin at a concentration equiva...

BACKGROUND Water serves as a potential reservoir for Campylobacter, the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying variations in survival characteristics between different strains of C. jejuni in natural environments, including water. RESULTS We identified three Campylobacter jejuni strains that exhibited variability in ...

Quorum sensing (QS), or cell-to-cell communication in bacteria, is achieved through the production and subsequent response to the accumulation of extracellular signal molecules called autoinductors. The main role of QS is regulation of production of virulence factors in bacteria. Bacterial pathogenicity is often manifested by the expression of various cell-associated and secreted virulence fact...