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Biochemical, Molecular Genetic, and Structural Analyses of the Staphylococcal Nucleoid

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2007

Kazuya Morikawa ,
Ryosuke L. Ohniwa ,
Joongbaek Kim ,
Sayaka L. Takeshita ,
Atsushi Maruyama ,
Yumiko Inose ,
Kunio Takeyasu  and
Toshiko Ohta
Kazuya Morikawa
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoh-dai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Ryosuke L. Ohniwa
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plasma Membrane and Nuclear Signaling, Kyoto University Graduate School of Biostudies, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Joongbaek Kim
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plasma Membrane and Nuclear Signaling, Kyoto University Graduate School of Biostudies, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Sayaka L. Takeshita
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoh-dai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Atsushi Maruyama
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoh-dai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Yumiko Inose
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoh-dai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
Kunio Takeyasu
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Plasma Membrane and Nuclear Signaling, Kyoto University Graduate School of Biostudies, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Toshiko Ohta
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoh-dai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
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Abstract

The nucleoid structure of an important human pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, was dissected by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The nucleoids dispersed on a cover glass consisted of fibrous units with two different widths of 40 and 80 nm, a feature shared with those of Escherichia coli. On the other hand, cells exposed to an oxidative stress exhibited clogged nucleoids. A knock-out of mrgA (metallo regulated genes A) encoding a staphylococcal homolog of the nucleoid compaction factor (E. coli Dps) eliminated the compaction response to the oxidative stress and reduced the susceptibilities to H2O2 and UV irradiation. We also observed that the negative supercoiling of plasmids is increased by the oxidative stress. A possible interrelation between the helical density and the nucleoid compaction is discussed in relation to the oxidative stress response.

Keywords

AFMnucleoidoxidative-stressStaphylococcus aureusMrgAsuperhelicity
Type
Research Article
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Environmental, Industrial, and AppliedMicrobiology , February 2007 , pp. 30 - 35
Copyright
2007 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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