The σ regulon in serovar Typhimurium includes a predicted RNA repair operon encoding homologs of the metazoan Ro60 protein (Rsr), Y RNAs (YrlBA), RNA ligase (RtcB), and RNA 3'-phosphate cyclase (RtcA). Transcription from σ-dependent promoters requires that a cognate bacterial enhancer binding protein (bEBP) be activated by a specific environmental or cellular signal; the cognate bEBP for the σ-dependent promoter of the operon is RtcR. To identify conditions that generate the signal for RtcR activation in Typhimurium, transcription of the RNA repair operon was assayed under multiple stress conditions that result in nucleic acid damage. RtcR-dependent transcription was highly induced by the nucleic acid cross-linking agents mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin, and this activation was dependent on RecA. Deletion of or resulted in decreased cell viability relative to that of the wild type following treatment with MMC. Oxidative stress from peroxide exposure also induced RtcR-dependent transcription of the operon. Nitrogen limitation resulted in RtcR-independent increased expression of the operon; the effect of nitrogen limitation required NtrC. The adjacent toxin-antitoxin module, , was cotranscribed with the RNA repair operon but was not required for RtcR activation, although YafQ endoribonuclease activated RtcR-dependent transcription. Stress conditions shown to induce expression the RNA repair operon of () did not stimulate expression of the Typhimurium RNA repair operon. Similarly, MMC did not induce expression of the operon, although when expressed in Typhimurium, RtcR responds effectively to the unknown signal(s) generated there by MMC exposure. Homologs of the metazoan RNA repair enzymes RtcB and RtcA occur widely in eubacteria, suggesting a selective advantage. Although the enzymatic activities of the eubacterial RtcB and RtcA have been well characterized, the physiological roles remain largely unresolved. Here we report stress responses that activate expression of the σ-dependent RNA repair operon () of Typhimurium and demonstrate that expression of the operon impacts cell survival under MMC-induced stress. Characterization of the requirements for activation of this tightly regulated operon provides clues to the possible functions of operon components, enhancing our understanding of how this human pathogen copes with environmental stressors.

The variable sigma (σ) subunit of the bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme, which is responsible for promoter specificity and open complex formation, plays a strategic role in the response to environmental changes. serovar Typhimurium utilizes the housekeeping σ and five alternative sigma factors, including σ The σ-RNAP differs from other σ-RNAP holoenzymes in that it forms a stable closed complex with the promoter and requires ATP hydrolysis by an activated cognate bacterial enhancer binding protein (bEBP) to transition to an open complex and initiate transcription. In Typhimurium, σ-dependent promoters normally respond to one of 13 different bEBPs, each of which is activated under a specific growth condition. Here, we utilized a constitutively active, promiscuous bEBP to perform a genome-wide identification of σ-RNAP DNA binding sites and the transcriptome of the σ regulon of Typhimurium. The position and context of many of the identified σ RNAP DNA binding sites suggest regulatory roles for σ-RNAP that connect the σ regulon to regulons of other σ factors to provide a dynamic response to rapidly changing environmental conditions. The alternative sigma factor σ (RpoN) is required for expression of genes involved in processes with significance in agriculture, bioenergy production, bioremediation, and host-microbe interactions. The characterization of the σ regulon of the versatile pathogen Typhimurium has expanded our understanding of the scope of the σ regulon and how it links to other σ regulons within the complex regulatory network for gene expression in bacteria.

Transcription sigma factors direct the selective binding of RNA polymerase holoenzyme (Eσ) to specific promoters. Two families of sigma factors determine promoter specificity, the σ70 (RpoD) family and the σ54 (RpoN) family. In transcription controlled by σ54, the Eσ54-promoter closed complex requires ATP hydrolysis by an associated bacterial enhancer-binding protein (bEBP) for the transition to open complex and transcription initiation. Given the wide host range of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, it is an excellent model system for investigating the roles of RpoN and its bEBPs in modulating the lifestyle of bacteria. The genome of S. Typhimurium encodes 13 known or predicted bEBPs, each responding to a unique intracellular or extracellular signal. While the regulons of most alternative sigma factors respond to a specific environmental or developmental signal, the RpoN regulon is very diverse, controlling genes for response to nitrogen limitation, nitric oxide stress, availability of alternative carbon sources, phage shock/envelope stress, toxic levels of zinc, nucleic acid damage, and other stressors. This review explores how bEBPs respond to environmental changes encountered by S. Typhimurium during transmission/infection and influence adaptation through control of transcription of different components of the S. Typhimurium RpoN regulon.