Bacterial transcription factor (BTF)

Bacterial transcription factors are essential regulatory proteins that control the expression of genes in response to environmental stimuli, playing a critical role in bacterial survival, pathogenesis, and antibiotic resistance (Browning & Busby, 2016). These proteins typically function by binding to specific DNA sequences near promoters to either activate or repress the recruitment of RNA polymerase (Haider et al., 2022). Because they are essential for the expression of virulence factors and the adaptation to host environments, they represent promising targets for the development of novel "anti-virulence" or narrow-spectrum antibacterial agents (Santos et al., 2020). Unlike traditional antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis or protein translation, targeting transcription factors can potentially reduce the selective pressure for resistance by specifically disarming the pathogen rather than killing it (Dickey et al., 2017). Notable examples of targeted factors include ToxT in Vibrio cholerae, which is inhibited by Virstatin, and the quorum-sensing regulator MvfR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Rasko & Sperandio, 2010; Shakhnovich et al., 2007).

Other names

Bacterial transcriptional regulatorProkaryotic transcription factorDNA-binding transcriptional regulatorBacterial DNA-binding protein

Inhibition of transcription initiation by blocking DNA binding, preventing the recruitment of RNA polymerase, or inhibiting the binding of inducer molecules to the transcription factor.