Functional complementation of Escherichia coli by the rpoS gene of the foodborne pathogenic Vibrio vulnificus

Abstract

The rpoS gene product is a global transcriptional factor, which is involved in bacterial survival under various stress conditions. An rpoS-homologous gene was cloned from a septicemia-causing pathogenic Vibrio vulnificus. Introduction of this gene as a multicopy plasmid into various E. coli strains displayed functional complementation, for examples, increased survivability of an rpoS-defective E. coli cell and induction of known σs-dependent, stress-responding promoters of E. coli gene.