Microarray analysis of temperature-induced transcriptome of Yersinia pestis

Abstract

Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, must acclimatize itself to temperature shifts between the temperature (26 C) for flea blockage and the body temperature (37 C) of warm-blooded hosts during its life cycle. Here a whole-genome DNA microarray was used to investigate transcriptional regulation upon the upshift of growth temperature from 26 to 37 C in a chemically defined medium. Four hundred and one genes were regulated differentially under the two temperatures. About 39% of these genes were up-regulated at 37 C, whereas 61% were down-regulated. Temperature-induced changes occurred at the level of transcription of genes encoding proven or predicted virulence factors, regulators, metabolism-associated proteins, prophages, and hypothetical proteins. Strikingly, many gene clusters displayed a co-transcription pattern in response to temperature upshift. Our data provided a genome-wide profile of gene transcription induced by temperature shift and should shed light on the pathogenicity and host-microbe interaction of this deadly pathogen.