2). In contrast, when the above target mRNAs were correlated with 16S rRNA or rpoD, their expression was unaltered (Fig. 2). Expression of two other T3SS mRNAs (cpn0186 and cdsJ) appeared unaltered by the addition of INP0010 if expression was correlated with rpoA or gyrA (Fig. 2). On the other hand, cpn0186 and cdsJ show a reduced level in the presence of INP0010 when correlated with 16S rRNA or rpoD (Fig. 2). We conclude that when different control RNAs are used, a large variation of target mRNA expression can be observed. Previously,

selleck compound a method involving combined control transcripts has been used (Maurer et al., 2007). We tested this method by relating each target mRNA to a combination of the control transcripts (16S rRNA, rpoA, rpoD, and gyrA). Our results indicate that the expression of most target mRNAs were slightly stimulated, or unaltered by the addition of INP0010 (Fig. 2). The amount of any transcript at a given time point is directly GSK3235025 mw correlated with its synthesis and subsequent decay. It is plausible that the transcript stability of different control RNAs varies, which would explain the diverse target gene expression seen in Fig. 2, and it is also possible that the transcript stability can be affected

by the presence of INP0010. To investigate this, de novo synthesis of RNA was inhibited by the antibiotic rifampicin, which binds and inactivates the RNA polymerase. Such blockage allowed us to measure transcript decay of specific mRNAs. To test the stability of both virulence-associated mRNAs and control RNAs, we added rifampicin to infected cells in the presence or the absence of INP0010 at 14 h p.i. Samples were collected 0, 1, and 2 h after adding the antibiotic. As shown in Fig. 3 and Table 2, the stability of the various transcripts differed considerably.

The 16S rRNA transcript was stable in both the presence and the absence of INP0010 (mRNA half-life>2 h). In Liothyronine Sodium contrast, several transcripts (rpoD, cpn0186, cdsS, and cdsN) could be detected at the time rifampicin was added, but they were undetectable 1 h after antibiotic treatment (data not shown). This suggests a quick turnover of these transcripts during the transition from the metabolically inactive to the metabolically active state. The remaining transcripts (rpoA, gyrA, groEL_1, incB, and cdsJ) had mRNA half-lives ranging from 8 to 23 min (Fig. 3, Table 2). Although not statistically proven, these transcripts seemed to be somewhat stabilized by the addition of INP0010 (Fig. 3, Table 2). In conclusion, the transcripts used as internal expression controls in our experiments (16S rRNA, rpoA, rpoD, and gyrA) displayed varying stability. Hence, the read-out of an experiment will be complex if an added drug affects transcription, and the control and target mRNAs differ with regard to stability. Many C.