
@article {140655,
	title = {Widespread prevalence of a methylation-dependent switch to activate an essential DNA damage response in bacteria.},
	journal = {PLoS Biol},
	volume = {22},
	year = {2024},
	month = {2024 Mar 11},
	pages = {e3002540},
	abstract = {<p>DNA methylation plays central roles in diverse cellular processes, ranging from error-correction during replication to regulation of bacterial defense mechanisms. Nevertheless, certain aberrant methylation modifications can have lethal consequences. The mechanisms by which bacteria detect and respond to such damage remain incompletely understood. Here, we discover a highly conserved but previously uncharacterized transcription factor (Cada2), which orchestrates a methylation-dependent adaptive response in Caulobacter. This response operates independently of the SOS response, governs the expression of genes crucial for direct repair, and is essential for surviving methylation-induced damage. Our molecular investigation of Cada2 reveals a cysteine methylation-dependent posttranslational modification (PTM) and mode of action distinct from its Escherichia coli counterpart, a trait conserved across all bacteria harboring a Cada2-like homolog instead. Extending across the bacterial kingdom, our findings support the notion of divergence and coevolution of adaptive response transcription factors and their corresponding sequence-specific DNA motifs. Despite this diversity, the ubiquitous prevalence of adaptive response regulators underscores the significance of a transcriptional switch, mediated by methylation PTM, in driving a specific and essential bacterial DNA damage response.</p>
},
	issn = {1545-7885},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3002540},
	author = {Kamat, Aditya and Tran, Ngat T and Sharda, Mohak and Sontakke, Neha and Le, Tung B K and Badrinarayanan, Anjana}
}
@article {128091,
	title = {SOS-independent bacterial DNA damage responses:~diverse mechanisms, unifying function.},
	journal = {Curr Opin Microbiol},
	volume = {73},
	year = {2023},
	month = {2023 May 04},
	pages = {102323},
	abstract = {<p>Cells across domains of life have dedicated pathways to sense and respond to DNA damage. These responses are broadly termed as DNA damage responses (DDRs). In bacteria, the best\&nbsp;studied DDR is the Save our Soul (SOS) response. More recently, several SOS-independent DDRs have also been discovered. Studies further report diversity in the\&nbsp;types of repair proteins present across bacterial species as well as differences in their mechanisms of action. Although the primary function of DDRs is preservation of genome integrity, the diverse organization, conservation, and function of bacterial DDRs raises important questions about how genome error correction mechanisms could influence or be influenced by the genomes that encode them. In this review, we discuss recent insights on three SOS-independent bacterial DDRs. We consider open questions in our understanding of how diversity in response and repair mechanisms is generated, and how action of these pathways is regulated in cells to ensure maintenance of genome integrity.</p>
},
	issn = {1879-0364},
	doi = {10.1016/j.mib.2023.102323},
	author = {Kamat, Aditya and Badrinarayanan, Anjana}
}
