DNA methylation regulates bacterial gene expression and virulence

摘要: DNA adenine methylase (Dam) plays a pivotal role in bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella—acting as a global regulator of gene expression and affecting a wide range of critical cellular functions, including DNA replication, DNA repair, transposition, and segregation of chromosomal DNA.This extraordinary versatility stems from the inherent biochemical activity of Dam. Thus, by adding methyl groups to various sites along the cellular DNA, Dam alters interactions of a variety of regulatory proteins with their designated gene targets and, in the process, effectively controls expression of those genes. In some cases, such changes modulate bacterial virulence and also serve to elicit protective immune responses in host organisms that Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens may infect.