Regulation of type 1 fimbriae synthesis and biofilm formation by the transcriptional regulator LrhA of Escherichia coli

Type 1 fimbriae ofEscherichia colifacilitate attachment to the host mucosa and promote biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. The transcriptional regulator LrhA, which is known as a repressor of flagellar, motility and chemotaxis genes, regulates biofilm formation and expression of type 1 fimbriae. Whole-genome expression profiling revealed that inactivation oflrhAresults in an increased expression of structural components of type 1 fimbriae.In vitro, LrhA bound to the promoter regions of the twofimrecombinases (FimB and FimE) that catalyse the inversion of thefimApromoter, and to the invertible element itself. TranslationallacZfusions with these genes and quantification offimEtranscript le…