Repressor lexA
Encyclopedia
Repressor LexA or LexA is a repressor
enzyme
that represses SOS response
gene
s coding for DNA polymerase
s required for repairing DNA damage. LexA is intimately linked to RecA
in the biochemical cycle of DNA damage and repair. RecA binds to DNA-bound LexA causing LexA to cleave itself in a process called autoproteolysis
.
DNA damage can be inflicted by the action of antibiotics. Bacteria require topoisomerase
s such as DNA gyrase
or topoisomerase IV
for DNA replication
. Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin
are able to prevent the action of these molecules by attaching themselves to the gyrase - DNA complex. This is counteracted by the polymerase repair molecules from the SOS response
. Unfortunately the action is partly counterproductive because ciprofloxacin is also involved in the synthetic pathway to RecA
type molecules which means that the bacteria responds to an antibiotic by starting to produce more repair proteins. These repair proteins can lead to eventual benevolent mutations which can render the bacteria resistant to ciprofloxacin.
Mutations are traditionally thought of as happening as a random process and as a liability to the organism. Many strategies exist in a cell to curb the rate of mutations. Mutations on the other hand can also be part of a survival strategy. For the bacteria under attack from an antibiotic, mutations help to develop the right biochemistry needed for defense. Certain polymerases in the SOS pathway are error-prone in their copying of DNA which leads to mutations. While these mutations are often lethal to the cell, they can also lead to mutations which improve the bacteria's survival. In the specific case of topoisomerases, some bacteria have mutated one of their amino acids so that the ciproflaxin can only create a weak bond to the topoisomerase. This is one of the methods that bacteria use to become resistant
to antibiotics.
Impaired LexA proteolysis has been shown to interfere with ciprofloxacin
resistance. This offers potential for combination therapy
that combine quinolone
s with strategies aimed at interfering with the action of LexA either directly, or via RecA.
Repressor
In molecular genetics, a repressor is a DNA-binding protein that regulates the expression of one or more genes by binding to the operator and blocking the attachment of RNA polymerase to the promoter, thus preventing transcription of the genes. This blocking of expression is called...
enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
that represses SOS response
SOS response
The SOS response is a global response to DNA damage in which the cell cycle is arrested and DNA repair and mutagenesis are induced. The SOS uses the RecA protein . The RecA protein, stimulated by single-stranded DNA, is involved in the inactivation of the LexA repressor thereby inducing the response...
gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s coding for DNA polymerase
DNA polymerase
A DNA polymerase is an enzyme that helps catalyze in the polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides into a DNA strand. DNA polymerases are best known for their feedback role in DNA replication, in which the polymerase "reads" an intact DNA strand as a template and uses it to synthesize the new strand....
s required for repairing DNA damage. LexA is intimately linked to RecA
RecA
RecA is a 38 kilodalton Escherichia coli protein essential for the repair and maintenance of DNA. RecA has a structural and functional homolog in every species in which it has been seriously sought and serves as an archetype for this class of homologous DNA repair proteins...
in the biochemical cycle of DNA damage and repair. RecA binds to DNA-bound LexA causing LexA to cleave itself in a process called autoproteolysis
Proteolysis
Proteolysis is the directed degradation of proteins by cellular enzymes called proteases or by intramolecular digestion.-Purposes:Proteolysis is used by the cell for several purposes...
.
DNA damage can be inflicted by the action of antibiotics. Bacteria require topoisomerase
Topoisomerase
Topoisomerases are enzymes that regulate the overwinding or underwinding of DNA. The winding problem of DNA arises due to the intertwined nature of its double helical structure. For example, during DNA replication, DNA becomes overwound ahead of a replication fork...
s such as DNA gyrase
DNA gyrase
DNA gyrase, often referred to simply as gyrase, is an enzyme that relieves strain while double-stranded DNA is being unwound by helicase. This causes negative supercoiling of the DNA...
or topoisomerase IV
Topoisomerase IV
Topoisomerase IV is one of two type-II topoisomerases in bacteria, the other being DNA gyrase. Like gyrase, topoisomerase IV is able to pass one double-strand of DNA through another double-strand of DNA, thereby changing the linking number of DNA by two in each enzymatic...
for DNA replication
DNA replication
DNA replication is a biological process that occurs in all living organisms and copies their DNA; it is the basis for biological inheritance. The process starts with one double-stranded DNA molecule and produces two identical copies of the molecule...
. Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone drug class.It is a second-generation fluoroquinolone antibacterial. It kills bacteria by interfering with the enzymes that cause DNA to rewind after being copied, which stops synthesis of DNA and of...
are able to prevent the action of these molecules by attaching themselves to the gyrase - DNA complex. This is counteracted by the polymerase repair molecules from the SOS response
SOS response
The SOS response is a global response to DNA damage in which the cell cycle is arrested and DNA repair and mutagenesis are induced. The SOS uses the RecA protein . The RecA protein, stimulated by single-stranded DNA, is involved in the inactivation of the LexA repressor thereby inducing the response...
. Unfortunately the action is partly counterproductive because ciprofloxacin is also involved in the synthetic pathway to RecA
RecA
RecA is a 38 kilodalton Escherichia coli protein essential for the repair and maintenance of DNA. RecA has a structural and functional homolog in every species in which it has been seriously sought and serves as an archetype for this class of homologous DNA repair proteins...
type molecules which means that the bacteria responds to an antibiotic by starting to produce more repair proteins. These repair proteins can lead to eventual benevolent mutations which can render the bacteria resistant to ciprofloxacin.
Mutations are traditionally thought of as happening as a random process and as a liability to the organism. Many strategies exist in a cell to curb the rate of mutations. Mutations on the other hand can also be part of a survival strategy. For the bacteria under attack from an antibiotic, mutations help to develop the right biochemistry needed for defense. Certain polymerases in the SOS pathway are error-prone in their copying of DNA which leads to mutations. While these mutations are often lethal to the cell, they can also lead to mutations which improve the bacteria's survival. In the specific case of topoisomerases, some bacteria have mutated one of their amino acids so that the ciproflaxin can only create a weak bond to the topoisomerase. This is one of the methods that bacteria use to become resistant
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a type of drug resistance where a microorganism is able to survive exposure to an antibiotic. While a spontaneous or induced genetic mutation in bacteria may confer resistance to antimicrobial drugs, genes that confer resistance can be transferred between bacteria in a...
to antibiotics.
Impaired LexA proteolysis has been shown to interfere with ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin
Ciprofloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone drug class.It is a second-generation fluoroquinolone antibacterial. It kills bacteria by interfering with the enzymes that cause DNA to rewind after being copied, which stops synthesis of DNA and of...
resistance. This offers potential for combination therapy
Combination therapy
Combination therapy or polytherapy is the use of more than one medication or other therapy. In contrast, monotherapy is any therapy which is taken by itself....
that combine quinolone
Quinolone
The quinolones are a family of synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics. The term quinolone refers to potent synthetic chemotherapeutic antibacterials....
s with strategies aimed at interfering with the action of LexA either directly, or via RecA.