Characterisation of Sfh, a novel H-NS-like protein

Abstract

Members of the H-NS protein family are widespread among Gram-negative bacteria and are known to influence gene expression at a global level. Shigella flexneri serotype 2a strain 2457T expresses three members of the H-NS protein family, namely, H-NS, StpA, and the recently identified Sfh protein. Unlike the hns and stpA genes, the sfh gene is not located on the chromosome, but on the large self-transmissible plasmid pSf-R27. In this study, the regulation of growth phase-dependent Sfh expression was examined and several novel roles for Sfh in vivo were elucidated.