Part:BBa_K200000

Colanic acid global regulator -> RcsB

RcsB is a receiver protein in a two component phosphorelay system, which acts as a positive regulator of a number of genes including capsule genes responsible for colanic acid production. 2 This is via the activation of the ugd/cps operon which is required for capsule synthesis.
Colanic acid is a heteropolymer containing glucose, galactose, fucose, and glucuronic acid.

It is important to note that RcsB is a global regulator found in many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterobacteria Enterobacteria]. In Salmonella, up to 38 genes were found to be up-regulated by RcsB including ftsZ which affects the rate of cell division. 1 The majority of upregulated genes are associated with enhancing structural integrety and acid resistance. 22 genes were found to be downregualted by RcsB in the same microarray experiment.3

Usage and Biology

 Colanic acid is an exopolysaccharide secreted by some bacterial species to protect themselves from the environment that surrounds them.

The gene was used alongside YgiV and Rfal by the Imperial iGEM 2009 [http://2009.igem.org/Team:Imperial_College_London The E.ncapsulator] team to upregulate colanic acid production as part of the auto-encapsulation mechanism.

Sequence and Features

Assembly Compatibility:

• 10
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
• 12
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
• 21
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
• 23
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
• 25
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
• 1000
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]

References

<biblio>

1. 1 pmid=1597415
2. 2 pmid=2404948
3. 3 pmid=19124574

</biblio>