Response regulator DegU of Listeria monocytogenes regulates the expression of flagella-specific genes

An isogenic mutant of Listeria monocytogenes EGD with a deletion of the response regulator gene degU showed a lack of motility due to the absence of flagella. In the present study, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass-spectrometry and microarray analyses to identify the listerial genes that depend on DegU for expression. We found that the two L. monocytogenes operons encoding flagella-specific genes and the monocistronically transcribed flaA gene are positively regulated by DegU at 24 degrees C, but are not expressed at 37 degrees C. (c) 2005 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.