Sigma factors are multi-domain subunits of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) that play
critical roles in transcription initiation, including the recognition and opening of promoters as …

Transcription initiation is the crucial focal point of gene expression in prokaryotes. The key
players in this process, sigma factors (σs), associate with the catalytic core RNA polymerase …

Alternative bacterial sigma factors bind the catalytic core RNA polymerase to confer
promoter selectivity on the holoenzyme. The different holoenzymes are thus programmed to …

Antibiotic treatment kills a large portion of a population, while a small, tolerant subpopulation
survives. Tolerant bacteria disrupt antibiotic efficacy and increase the likelihood that a …

Bacterial transcription is controlled by sigma factors, the RNA polymerase subunits that act
as initiation factors. Although a single housekee** sigma factor enables transcription from …

Extracytoplasmic (ECF) σ factors, the largest class of alternative σ factors, are related to
primary σ factors, but have simpler structures, comprising only two of six conserved …

The ability to recognize molecular patterns is essential for the continued survival of
biological organisms, allowing them to sense and respond to their immediate environment …

Highlights•ECF sigma factors are alternative sigma factors involved in gene expression
regulation.•During growth, ECF sigma factors are sequestered by specific anti-sigma …

In bacteria, σ28 is the flagella‐specific sigma factor that targets RNA polymerase (RNAP) to
control the expression of flagella‐related genes involving bacterial motility and chemotaxis …

The growth behavior in well‐mixed bacterial cultures is relatively well understood. However,
bacteria often grow in heterogeneous conditions on surfaces where their growth is …