Two-component systems and toxinogenesis regulation in Clostridium botulinum

Chloé Connan (1) , Michel R. Popoff (1)

1 Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent toxins ever known. BoNTs associate with non-toxic proteins to form complexes of various sizes. Toxin production is highly regulated through complex networks of regulatory systems involving an alternative sigma factor, BotR, and at least 6 two-component systems (TCSs). TCSs allow bacteria to sense environmental changes and to respond to various stimuli by regulating the expression of specific genes at a transcriptional level. This review aims to highlight the role of TCSs as a central point in the regulation of toxin production in C. botulinum.

Keywords: Clostridium botulinum; toxin; regulation; two-component systems

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Bacteriology

Chloé Connan, Michel R. Popoff. Two-component systems and toxinogenesis regulation in Clostridium botulinum. Research in Microbiology, 2015, pii: S0923-2508(14)00261-7. ⟨10.1016/j.resmic.2014.12.012⟩. ⟨pasteur-01115185⟩