Negative supercoiling of DNA by gyrase is inhibited in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium during adaptation to acid stress

What is it about?

The macrophage uses the vacuolar V-ATPase proton pump to acidify its Salmonella-containing vacuole to pH 4-5. The bacterium responds by adjusting its cytosol to pH 5-6. This resets the DNA supercoiling and DNA relaxing activities of DNA gyrase, resulting in an overall relaxation of Salmonella DNA. This facilitates the expression of bacterial genes that protect Salmonella from the hostile environment of the vacuole. The MgtC protein maintains ATP homeostasis in the bacterium.

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