rpoE

The gene rpoE (RNA polymerase, extracytoplasmic E) encodes the sigma factor sigma-24 (σ24, sigma E, or RpoE), a protein in Escherichia coli^[1] and other species of bacteria. Depending on the bacterial species, this gene may be referred to as sigE.^[2]

RpoE appears to be necessary for the exocytoplasmic stress response. E. coli mutants without rpoE cannot grow at high temperatures (that is, above 42 degrees C)^[3] and show growth defects at lower temperatures, though this may be due to compensatory mutations.^[4] In some bacterial species, such as Clostridium botulinum, this sigma factor may be necessary for sporulation.^[5]

The stress response regulation activities of RpoE are modulated by the Hfq protein in E. coli.^[6]

References

1. Rouvière, PE; De Las Peñas, A; Mecsas, J; Lu, CZ; Rudd, KE; Gross, CA (1995). "rpoE, the gene encoding the second heat-shock sigma factor, sigma E, in Escherichia coli.". The EMBO Journal 14 (5): 1032–42. PMID 7889934.
2. Jensen-Cain, DM; Quinn, FD (2001). "Differential expression of sigE by Mycobacterium tuberculosis during intracellular growth.". Microbial pathogenesis 30 (5): 271–8. doi:10.1006/mpat.2001.0431. PMID 11373121.
3. Hiratsu, K; Amemura, M; Nashimoto, H; Shinagawa, H; Makino, K (1995). "The rpoE gene of Escherichia coli, which encodes sigma E, is essential for bacterial growth at high temperature.". Journal of Bacteriology 177 (10): 2918–22. PMID 7751307.
4. De Las Peñas, A; Connolly, L; Gross, CA (Nov 1997). "SigmaE is an essential sigma factor in Escherichia coli.". Journal of Bacteriology 179 (21): 6862–4. PMID 9352942.
5. Kirk, DG; Zhang, Z; Korkeala, H; Lindström, M (2014). "Alternative sigma factors SigF, SigE, and SigG are essential for sporulation in Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502.". Applied and Environmental Microbiology 80 (16): 5141–50. doi:10.1128/aem.01015-14. PMID 24928875.
6. De Las Peñas, A; Connolly, L; Gross, CA (Nov 1997). "SigmaE is an essential sigma factor in Escherichia coli.". Journal of Bacteriology 179 (21): 6862–4. PMID 9352942.