Transcriptional analysis of a Vibrio choleare rpoH mutant vs wild-type after a heat-shock

Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, can grow in a variety of environments outside of human hosts. During infection, the pathogen must adapt to significant environmental alterations, including the elevated temperature of the human gastrointestinal tract. σ32, an alternative sigma factor encoded by rpoH, activates transcription of genes involved in the heat-shock response in several bacterial species. We defined the V. cholerae RpoH regulon by comparing the whole genome transcription profiles of the wild-type and rpoH mutant strains after a temperature up-shift. Most of the V. cholerae genes expressed in an RpoH-dependent manner after heat-shock encode proteins that influence protein fate, such as proteases and chaperones, or are of unknown function. Keywords: heat-shock response, rpoH 3 independent experiments were performed, each in duplicate with dye swaps.