Abstract
Organisms must maintain physiological levels of Mg2+ because this divalent cation is critical for the stabilization of membranes and ribosomes, for the neutralization of nucleic acids, and as a cofactor in a variety of enzymatic reactions. In this review, we describe the mechanisms that bacteria utilize to sense the levels of Mg2+ both outside and inside the cytoplasm. We examine how bacteria achieve Mg2+ homeostasis by adjusting the expression and activity of Mg2+ transporters and by changing the composition of their cell envelope. We discuss the connections that exist between Mg2+ sensing, Mg2+ transport, and bacterial virulence. Additionally, we explore the logic behind the fact that bacterial genomes encode multiple Mg2+ transporters and distinct sensing systems for cytoplasmic and extracytoplasmic Mg2+. These analyses may be applicable to the homeostatic control of other cations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 625-646 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Annual Review of Genetics |
Volume | 47 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 Nov |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- ATP
- CorA
- Gene regulation
- Lipopolysaccharide
- MgtA
- MgtB
- MgtE
- PhoP/PhoQ
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics