Stress response regulators identified through genome-wide transcriptome analysis of the (p)ppGpp-dependent response in Rhizobium etli

Background The alarmone (p)ppGpp mediates a global reprogramming of gene expression upon nutrient limitation and other stresses to cope with these unfavorable conditions. Synthesis of (p)ppGpp is, in most bacteria, controlled by RelA/SpoT (Rsh) proteins. The role of (p)ppGpp has been characterized primarily in Escherichia coli and several Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we report the first in-depth analysis of the (p)ppGpp-regulon in an α-proteobacterium using a high-resolution tiling array to better understand the pleiotropic stress phenotype of a relA/rsh mutant.