ppGpp is the major source of growth rate control in E. coli
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Summary: It is widely accepted that the DNA, RNA and protein content of Enterobacteriaceae is regulated as a function of exponential growth rates; macromolecular content increases with faster growth regardless of specific composition of the growth medium. This phenomenon, called growth rate control, primarily involves regulation of ribosomal RNA and ribosomal protein synthesis. However, it was uncertain whether the global regulator ppGpp is the major determinant for growth rate control. Therefore, here we re‐evaluate the effect of ppGpp on macromolecular content for different balanced growth rates in defined media. We find that when ppGpp is absent, RNA/protein and RNA/DNA ratios are equivalent in fast and slow growing cells. Moreover, slow growing ppGpp‐deficient cells with increased RNA content, display a normal ribosomal subunit composition although polysome content is reduced when compared with fast growing wild‐type cells. From this we conclude that growth rate control does not occur in the absence of ppGpp. Also, artificial elevation of ppGpp or introduction of stringent RNA polymerase mutants in ppGpp‐deficient cells restores this control. We believe these findings strongly argue in favour of ppGpp and against redundant regulation of growth rate control by other factors in Escherichia coli and other enteric bacteria.
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Synthesis of rRNA is repressed by the alarmone ppGpp produced in response to uncharged tRNA.
“Synthesis of rRNA is, in turn, repressed by the alarmone ppGpp produced in response to uncharged tRNA (Condon et al, 1995; Murray et al, 2003; Potrykus et al, 2011).”
From Emergence of robust growth laws from optimal regulation of ribosome synthesis (2014) · cites this paper as Potrykus et al, 2011
ppGpp levels exhibit negative correlation with growth rate irrespective of the composition of the growth medium.
“ppGpp levels exhibit negative correlation with growth rate irrespective of the composition of the growth medium (Potrykus et al, 2011).”
From Emergence of robust growth laws from optimal regulation of ribosome synthesis (2014) · cites this paper as Potrykus et al, 2011
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Emergence of robust growth laws from optimal regulation of ribosome synthesis
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- Authors
- Potrykus, K., Murphy, H., Philippe, N., & Cashel, M.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cashel, Michael
- Venue
- Environmental Microbiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-10-15
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 563-575
- ISSN
- 1462-2912 (ISSN-L)
- 1462-2920
- PMC
- PMC4556285
- OpenAlex
- W2103087390
- Cited by
- 251
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 5.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Environmental Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (ZIAHD000067)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Biochemical and Molecular Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Keywords
- ppGpp, growth rate control, Escherichia coli, stringent response, RNA content, ribosomal RNA synthesis, ribosomal protein synthesis, RNA/DNA ratio, RNA/protein ratio
- MeSH terms
- Bacterial Proteins, DNA, Bacterial, Escherichia coli, Guanosine Tetraphosphate, Ribosomes, DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases, RNA, Bacterial, RNA, Ribosomal, Protein Biosynthesis, Escherichia coli Proteins
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