Functional Characterization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Ribosome Hibernation-Promoting Factor

Abstract

In most environments, bacteria experience conditions where nutrients may be readily abundant or where nutrients are limited. Under nutrient limitation conditions, even non-spore-forming bacteria may enter a dormant state. Dormancy is accompanied by a variety of cellular physiological changes that are required for the cells to remain viable during dormancy and to resuscitate when nutrients become available. Among the physiological changes that occur in dormant bacteria is the inactivation and preservation of ribosomes by the dormancy protein, hibernation-promoting factor (HPF). In this study, we characterized the activity of HPF of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , an opportunistic pathogen that causes persistent infections, and analyzed the role of HPF in ribosome protection and bacterial survival during dormancy.