Repressor elements provide insights into tissue development and phenotypes in pigs

Repressor elements significantly influence economically relevant phenotypes in pigs;however,their precise roles and characteristics are inadequately understood.In the present study,we employed H3K27me3 profiling,assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with highthroughput sequencing(ATAC-seq),and RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)data across six tissues derived from three embryonic layers to identify and map 2034 super repressor elements(SREs) and 22223 typical repressor elements(TREs) in the pig genome.Notably,many repressor elements were conserved across mesodermal and ectodermal tissues.SREs exhibited tight regulation of their target genes,affecting a limited number of genes within a specific genomic region with pronounced effects,while TREs exerted broader but weaker regulation over a wider range of target genes.Furthermore,in neuronal tissues,genes regulated by repressor elements started to be repressed during the differentiation of stem cells into progenitor cells.Notably,analysis showed that many repressor elements exhibited cooperative and additive effects on the modulation of KLF4 expression.This research provides the first comprehensive map of pig repressor elements,serving as an essential reference for future studies on repressor elements.

FHL2 Interacts with and Acts as a Functional Repressor of Id2 in Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Objective： Id2 is a natural inhibitor of the basic helix-loop-helix（bHLH） transcription factors. Although it is well known that active ld2 prevents differentiation and promotes cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis, the molecular events that regulate Id2 activity remain to be investigated. Methods： Yeast two-hybrid, mammalian two-hybrid, GST-pulldown and immunoprecipitation （ColP） assays were used to screen and identify novel Id2 interactors. Luciferase assays were used to detect E47-mediated transcription activity. Colony formation and BrdU incorporation assays were used to determine cellular proliferation abilities. Northorn blot, western blot and quantitative PCR methods were used to measure gene expression levels. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays （EMSAs） were performed to investigate protein/DNA binding. Results： The LIM-only protein FHL2 （four-and-a-half-LIM-only protein 2） was identified to be a novel Id2 interactor. The HLH domain within Id2 is not required for its interaction with FHL2. FHL2 antagonizes the inhibitory effect of Id2 on the basic helix-loop-helix protein E47-mediated transcription. FHL2 prevents the formation of Id2-E47 heterdimer, thus releasing E47 to its target DNA and restoring its transcriptional activity. FHL2 expression was remarkably up-regulated during retinoic acid-induced differentiation of neuroblastoma cells, during which the expression of Id2 is opposite to that. Ectopic FHL2 expression in neuroblastoma cells markedly reduces the transcriptional and cell-cycle promoting functions of Id2. Conclusion： These results indicate that FHL2 is an important repressor of the oncogenic activity of Id2 in neuroblastoma cells.

Non-transmissible Sendai virus vector encoding c-myc suppressor FBP-interacting repressor for cancer therapy

AIM: To investigate a novel therapeutic strategy to target and suppress c-myc in human cancers using far up stream element (FUSE)-binding protein-interacting repressor (FIR).

Expression of p27Kip1, A Cell Cycle Repressor Protein with Dual Roles for Both Cancer Prevention and Promotion, Is Regulated Primarily at the Level of Unusual p27Kip1 mRNA—A Short Concept Proposal

The p27Kip1 is a cell cycle repressor protein that regulates primarily the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase and hence the DNA replication is in the S phase and cell division in the M phase. Expression of p27Kip1 protein has dual roles for both cancer prevention and promotion. For example, numerous nutritional and chemopreventive anti-cancer agents specifically increase the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. On the other hand, pro-cancer agents (like glucose, insulin and other growth factors frequently seen in obesity and/or diabetes) specifically decrease the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. Unlike expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins, expression of p27Kip1 protein is very unusual. The mRNA of p27Kip1 has a very long and unusual 5’-untranslated region (from -575 to -1 in human). It appears that the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA forms two alternative secondary structures. One increases the expression of p27Kip1 protein when anti-cancer agents are added and another decrease the expression of p27K1p1 when pro-cancer agents are added. For this short concept proposal, Dr. Albert Einstein’s “visualized thought experiments (German: Gedanken experiment)” were used as a fundamental tool for understanding how either anti- or pro-cancer agents bring the primary structure of the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA into two alternative secondary structures, thereby either increasing or decreasing, respectively, the translation initiation of p27Kip1 protein.

Lack of association between cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes(GREG)polymorphisms and coronary artery disease in the Han population of North China

Objectives Phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells(SMCs) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic lesions such as coronary artery disease (CAD).Accumulating evidence demonstrates(hat a cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes(CREG) plays a role in the maintenance of the mature phenotype of vascular SMCs. The purpose of the present study was to assess the possible association between CREG and CAD in the Han population of North China.Methods The promoter region of CREG by direct sequencing was conducted in 48 subjects.Then SNP rs2995073 and another 4 tagSNPs(rs4657669,rs3767443, rsl6859185,rs3753921) were selected for the association study.All five selected SNPs were determined in 1161 patients with angiographically proven CAD and 960 controls with normal coronary angiograms to investigate the possible involvement of CREG in CAD.Results Genotype frequencies of the five examined polymorphisms were similarly distributed between CAD group and controls(P】0.05).Further haplotype analysis also found no significant differences in the distributions between CAD group and controls(P】0.05). Conclusions This study did not show an association between common variants of CREG and CAD in the northern Chinese Han population.

A 314-bp SINE insertion in the ZNF2 promoter region may act as a repressor related to regulation of fat deposition in pigs

Retrotransposons,a type of DNA fragment that can mobilize itself on genome,can generate genetic variations and develop for molecular markers based on the insertion polymorphism.Zinc finger proteins(ZNFs)are among the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic animals,and their functions are extraordinarily diverse and particularly important in gene regulation.In the current study,bioinformatic prediction was performed to screen for retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms(RIPs)in six ZNF genes(ZNF2,ZNF3,ZNF7,ZNF8,ZNF10 and ZNF12).Six RIPs in these ZNFs,including one short interspersed nuclear element(SINE)RIP in intron 1 and one long interspersed nuclear element 1(L1)RIP in intron 3 of ZNF2,one SINE RIP in 5′flanking region and one SINE RIP in intron 2 of ZNF3,one SINE RIP in 3′UTR of ZNF7 and one L1 RIP in intron 2 of ZNF12,were discovered and their presence was confirmed by PCR.The impact of the SINE RIP in the first intron of ZNF2,which is close to the core promoter of ZNF2,on the gene activity was investigated by dual-luciferase assay in three cell lines.Our results showed that the SINE insertion in the intron 1 of ZNF2 repressed the core promoter activity extremely significantly(P<0.01)in cervical cancer cells and porcine primary embryonic fibroblasts(HeLa and PEF),thus SINE may act as a repressor.This SINE RIP also significantly(P<0.05)affected the corrected back fat thickness in Yorkshire pigs.The corrected back fat thickness of individuals with SINE insertion in the first intron of ZNF2 was significantly(P<0.05)higher than that of individuals without SINE insertion.In summary,our data suggested that RIPs play important roles in the genetic variations of these ZNF genes and SINE RIP in the intron 1 of ZNF2 may provide a useful molecular marker for the screening of fat deposition in the pig breeding.

A Repressor in 5′-UTR of hKv4.3 Gene

The effect of repressors on ion channel gene expression was studied. The hKv4. 3 promoter and the sequence （ ＋ 2-- ＋ 160, S160） of 5＇-UTR of the hKv4. 3 gene was cloned into the pβ-gal-Basic vector. The transient expression of the pβ-gal vector and the analysis of the relative activity of β-galactosidase were carried out. The analysis of the mRNA level was carried out with the RT-PCR method. S160 could intensively repress the expression of the hKv4. 3 gene with position-specificity. The level of mRNA did not alter obviously. A repressor（ S160）, in 5＇-UTR of the hKv4. 3 gene was found and its repression to gene expression may play a role in the post-transcription process.

SB1 Encoding RING-Like Zinc-Finger Protein Regulates Branch Development as a Transcription Repressor

Inflorescence structure of rice,including the number and length of branches,and the density of the spikelet,can greatly affect the number of grains per panicle,which is one of the key factors in yield compositions.Here we identified five allelic mutants sb1-1/2/3/4/5 that related to branch development of rice.In these mutants,the branch meristem fate was prolonged sharply,resulting in delay of transition from branches to spikelets,and then increased the numbers of branches and spikelets per panicle.SB1 encodes a nuclear RING-like domain protein of SHI/LRP/SRS family and strongly expressed in branch meristems.The results of protein interaction and chromatin immunoprecipitation further suggested that SB1 directly repressed the expression of DEP1,TAW1,MOC1 and IPA1 by interacting with a co-repressor complex to affect acetylation level of histone H3 on target regions.Thus,we proposed that SB1 is a transcription repressor of branch meristem activity by widely and negatively regulating a series of genes that maintain branch meristem fate.

Lower Concentrations of Glucose or Insulin Decrease the Risk of Various Types of Cancer in the Long-Lived Ames Dwarf Mouse by Increasing the Expression of p27Kip1, a Cell-Cycle Repressor Protein

Introduction. The molecular biological mechanism of the increased incidence of the various types of cancer in obesity or type 2 diabetes in rodents or humans has largely been resolved in recent years. By contrast, the molecular biological mechanism of the decreased, not increased, incidence of the various types of cancer in the homozygous long-lived Ames dwarf mice still remains unresolved. Objective. The first objective of the present study was to investigate whether the decrease in the incidence of cancer in the homozygous long-lived Ames dwarf mice is due to the increase, not decrease, in the expression of p27Kip1, a cell cycle repressor protein. The second objective was to investigate whether the decrease in the incidence of cancer in the homozygous long-lived Ames dwarf mice is due to the decrease, not increase, in the levels of glucose or insulin. Methods. To achieve these objectives, we first performed western immunoblot analysis of the hepatic expression of p27Kip1 protein. We then performed, using a human breast cancer cell line in vitro, the luciferase reporter plasmid assay to determine whether the translation initiation activity of the p27Kip1 mRNA is increased when the concentrations of either glucose or insulin are decreased. Results and Conclusion. The results of the first objective indicated that the hepatic expression of p27Kip1 protein was up-regulated in the homozygous long-lived Ames dwarf mice as expected. We also found that the lower concentrations of glucose or insulin increased the translation initiation activity of the p27Kip1 mRNA.

Tissue expression and immunolocalization of cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated gene in postinfarction dysfunctional myocardium

Background Cellular Repressor of E1A-stimu-lated gene(CREG) is widely expressed in adult tissues such as the brain,heart,lung,liver,intestine and kidney in mice.It is not known whether tissue CREG is decreased in the common setting of myocardial infarction which may lead to heart failure.We studied the expression and protein localization of CREG and its main receptor(IFR2R) in a mouse model of myocardial infarction.Methods Male mice were randomized to proximal left anterior descending ligation.The animals were killed on day 1,3,7,14,and 28 after ligation to examine gene expression and protein production of CREG and IGF2R from the infarct,peri-infarct,and contralateral zones of infarcted heart.Results There was decreased CREG mRNA production throughout the myocardium at dav 1,and the expression gradually increased at day 28 after myocardial infarction.The decreased expression of this glycoprotein was not confined strictly to the infarct or peri-infarct zones but also expressed by cardiac myocytes within the myocardium in the contralateral normal zone.Levels of CREG protein in the infarct and peri-infarct zones declined to 1/3- to 1/2-fold of normal levels and declined to 1/2- to 2/3- fold in the contralateral zone.Finally,the expression of the IGF2R mRNA transcripts was downregulated at day 3 and 7 after ligation in the infarct and peri-infarct zones,suggesting that the signal transduction pathways necessary for CREG in the heart remain intact as CREG biosynthesis decreases. Conclusions CREG is constantly present in a model of large myocardial infarction and is decreased at the early stage within the myocardium.The decreased expression of this glycoprotein is not only confined strictly to the infarct or periinfarct zone but also is expressed by cardiac myocytes within the myocardium contralateral to the infarct.Therefore CREG production decreased due to myocardial stress response to injury.

A signaling cascade mediating fruit trait development via phosphorylation-modulated nuclear accumulation of JAZ repressor

It is generally accepted that jasmonate-ZIM domain(JAZ)repressors act to mediate jasmonate(JA)signaling via CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1(COI1)-mediated degradation.Here,we report a cryptic signaling cascade where a JAZ repressor,FvJAZ12,mediates multiple signaling inputs via phosphorylation-modulated subcellular translocation rather than the COI1-mediated degradation mechanism in strawberry(Fragaria vesca).FvJAZ12 acts to regulate flavor metabolism and defense response,and was found to be the target of Fv MPK6,a mitogen-activated protein kinase that is capable of responding to multiple signal stimuli.FvMPK6 phosphorylates FvJAZ12 at the amino acid residues S179 and T183 adjacent to the PY residues,thereby attenuating its nuclear accumulation and relieving its repression for FvMYC2,which acts to control the expression of lipoxygenase 3(FvLOX3),an important gene involved in JA biosynthesis and a diverse array of cellular metabolisms.Our data reveal a previously unreported mechanism for JA signaling and decipher a signaling cascade that links multiple signaling inputs with fruit trait development.

Therapeutic targeting of cellular prion protein: toward the development of dual mechanism anti-prion compounds

PrPSc,a misfolded,aggregation-prone isoform of the cellular prion protein(PrPC),is the infectious prion agent responsible for fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and other mammals.PrPSccan adopt different pathogenic conformations(prion strains),which can be resistant to potential drugs,or acquire drug resistance,posing challenges for the development of effective therapies.Since PrPCis the obligate precursor of any prion strain and serves as the mediator of prion neurotoxicity,it represents an attractive therapeutic target fo r prion diseases.In this minireview,we briefly outline the approaches to target PrPCand discuss our recent identification of Zn(Ⅱ)-Bn PyP,a PrPC-targeting porphyrin with an unprecedented bimodal mechanism of action.We argue that in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism by which Zn(Ⅱ)-Bn PyP targets PrPCmay lead toward the development of a new class of dual mechanism anti-prion compounds.

Selection and design of high affinity DNA ligands for mutant single-chain derivatives of the bacteriophage 434 repressor

Single-chain repressor RRTRES is a derivative of bacteriophage 434 repressor, which contains covalently dimerized DNA-binding domains (amino acids 1-69) of the phage 434 repressor. In this single-chain molecule, the wild type domain R is connected to the mutant domain RTRES by a recombinant linker in a head-to-tail arrangement. The DNA-contacting amino acids of RTRES at the -1, 1,2, and 5 positions of the α3 helix are T, R, E, S respectively. By using a randomized DNA pool containing the central sequence -CATACAAGAAAGNNNNNNTTT-. a cyclic, in vitro DNA-binding site selection was performed. The selected population was cloned and the individual members were characterized by determining their binding affinities to RRTRES. The results showed that the optimal operators contained the TTAC or TTCC sequences in the underlined positions as above, and that the Kd values were in the 1×10-12mol/L1×10-11mol/L concentration range. Since the affinity of the natural 434 repressor to its natural operator sites is in the 1×10-9 mol/L range, the observed binding affinity increase is remarkable. It was also found that binding affinity was strongly affected by the flanking bases of the optimal tetramer binding sites, especially by the base at the 5' position. We constructed a new homodimeric single-chain repressor RrREsRtRES and its DNA-binding specificity was tested by using a series of new operators designed according to the recognition properties previously determined for the RTRES domain. These operators containing the consensus sequence GTAAGAAARNTTACN or GGAAGAAARNTTCCN (R is A or G) were recognized by RTRESRTRES specifically, and with high binding affinity. Thus, by using a combination of random selection and rational design principles, we have discovered novel, high affinity protein-DNA interactions with new specificity. This method can potentially be used to obtain new binding specificity for other DNA-binding proteins.

Repressor of GATA-3 can negatively regulate the expression of T cell cytokines through modulation on inducible costimulator

Background The transcription factor, repressor of GATA-3 （ROG）, can simultaneously suppress the expression of T helper cells （Thl and Th2） cytokines. Since the suppression of Th2 cytokines by GATA-3 is well understood, it is postulated that there are other molecular targets of ROG that can suppress the expression of the Thl cytokines. We hypothesized that ROG might suppress the stimulators of T lymphocyte cytokines such as CD3, CD28, and inducible costimulator （ICOS）, or indirectly enhance the expression of cytokine suppressors such as T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 （CTLA-4） and CD45. The objective of this study was to clarify the molecular targets of ROG involved in suppressing Thl or Th2 cytokines. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR （RT-PCR） and Western blotting were performed to evaluate the mRNA and protein levels of CD3, CD28, ICOS, CTLA-4, and CD45 in Thl and Th2 cells during various levels of ROG expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the levels of interferon-y （IFN-y） and intedeukin （IL）-4 in culture media of Thl and Th2 cells. Results The results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of ROG were relatively low in Thl and Th2 cells （P 〈0.01）. After ROG-pcDNA3.1 transfection, the mRNA and protein level of ROG was significantly elevated, while the expression of ICOS, IFN-y, and IL-4 was markedly down-regulated （P 〈0.01）. Conversely, transfection of ROG-siRNA led to inhibition of ROG expression and up-regulation of ICOS, IFN-y and IL-4 （P 〈0.01）. However, the expression levels of CD3, CD28, CTLA-4 and CD45 did not change in either ROG-pcDNA3.1 or ROG-siRNA-transfected Thl and Th2 cells （P 〉0.05）. Conclusion It is concluded that ROG can inhibit the expression of Thl and Th2 cytokines by down-regulating the expression of ICOS, which might be a potential molecular target for asthma treatment.

SPOROCYTELESS Is a Novel Embryophyte-Specific Transcription Repressor that Interacts with TPL and TCP Proteins in Arabidopsis

Germlines in plants are formed de novo during post-embryonic development, while little is known about the mechanism that controls this process. In Arabidopsis, the earliest gene controlling this process is SPOROCYTELESS （SPL）. A decade ago, we showed that loss of SPL function abolished sporogenesis in both male and female organs of Arabidopsis. However, its function is unclear up to now. In this study, we showed that SPL belongs to a novel transcription repressor family specific in embryophyte, which consists of 173 members in the land plants so far. All of them contain a conserved SPL-motif in their N-terminal and an ethylene-responsive element binding factor-associated amphiphilic repression （EAR） motif in the C-terminal, therefore designated as SPL-like, EAR-containing proteins （SPEARs）. Consis- tently, SPL acts as a transcriptional repressor in yeast and tobacco cells, and SPEAR proteins are able to form homodimer and/or het- erodimer with each other in vitro. Furthermore, SPEARs interact with the TOPLESS （TPL） co-repressors via the EAR motif and TCP family transcription factors in yeast cells. Together, we propose that SPL and SPEARs most likely belong to a novel transcription repressor family in land plants which may play a variety of developmental roles in plants.

COR27 and COR28 encode nighttime repressors integrating Arabidopsis circadian clock and cold response

Summary It was noted that circadian components function in plant adaptation to diurnal temperature cycles and freezing tolerance. Our genome-wide transcriptome analysis revealed that evening-phased COR27 and COR28 mainly repress the transcription of clockassociated evening genes PRRS, ELF4 and cold-responsive genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicated that CCAI is recruited to the site containing EE elements of COR27 and COR28 promoters in a temperaturedependent way. Further genetic analysis shows COR28 is essential for the circadian function of PRR9 and PRRT. Together, our results support a role of COR27 and COR28 as nighttime repressors integrating circadian clock and plant cold stress responses.

A Single JAZ Repressor Controls the Jasmonate Pathway in Marchantia polymorpha

JAZ proteins are negative regulators of jasm onate responses,acting both as repressors of transcription factors and as co-receptors of JA-lle. The high redundancy of JAZ genes in angiosperms has hindered the characterization of a complete depletion of JAZ function. Moreover, the recent discovery that dn- OPDA is the jasmonate ligand in Marchantia polymorpha demonstrates that JA-lle is not the sole COI1/ JAZ ligand in land plants and highlights the importance of studying JAZ co-receptors in bryophytes? Here, we have exploited the low gene redundancy of the liverwort M. polymorpha to characterize the single MpJ4Z in this early diverging plant lineage. We clarify the phylogenetic history of the TIFY family, demonstrate that MpJAZ is the ortholog of AtJAZ with a conserved function, and characterize its repressor activity of dn-OPDA resp on ses. Our results show that, con sistent with previous findings in Arabidopsis, MpJAZ represses jasmonates biosynthesis, senescence, and plant defenses, and promotes cell growth and reproductive fitness, highlighting the power of studies in Marchantia.

A microRNA encoded by HSV-1 inhibits a cellular transcriptional repressor of viral immediate early and early genes

Viral microRNAs are one component of the RNA interference phenomenon generated during viral infection. They were first identified in the Herpesviridae family, where they were found to regulate viral mRNA translation. In addition, prior work has suggested that Kaposi＇s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus （KSHV） is capable of regulating cellular gene transcription by miRNA. We demonstrate that a miRNA, hsvl-mir-H27, encoded within the genome of herpes simplex virus 1 （HSV-1）, targets the mRNA of the cellular transcriptional repressor Kelch-like 24 （KLHL24） that inhibits transcriptional efficiency of viral imme- diate-early and early genes. The viral miRNA is able to block the expression of KLHL24 in cells infected by HSV-1. Our dis- covery reveals an effective viral strategy for evading host cell defenses and supporting the efficient replication and prolifera- tion of HSV- 1.

FTO is a transcriptional repressor to auto-regulate its own gene and potentially associated with homeostasis of body weight

Fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein is a ferrous ion (Fe^2+)/2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)-dependent demethylase preferentially catalyzing m^6A sites in RNA. The FTO gene is highly expressed in the hypothalamus with fluctuation in response to various nutritional conditions, which is believed to be involved in the control of whole body metabolism. However, the underlying mechanism in response to different nutritional cues remains poorly understood. Here we show that ketogenic diet-derived ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) transiently increases FTO expression in both mouse hypothalamus and cultured cells. Interestingly, the FTO protein represses Fto promoter activity, which can be offset by BHB. We then demonstrate that FTO binds to its own gene promoter, and Fe^2+, but not 2-OG, impedes this binding and increases FTO expression. The BHB-induced occupancy of the promoter by FTO influences the assembly of the basal transcriptional machinery. Importantly, a loss-of-function FTO mutant (I367F), which induces a lean phenotype in FTO^I367F mice, exhibits augmented binding and elevated potency to repress the promoter. Furthermore, FTO fails to bind to its own promoter that promotes FTO expression in the hypothalamus of high-fat diet-induced obese and 48-h fasting mice, suggesting a disruption of the stable expression of this gene. Taken together, this study uncovers a new function of FTO as a Fe^(2+)-sensitive transcriptional repressor dictating its own gene switch to form an auto-regulatory loop that may link with the hypothalamic control of body weight.

Mycobacterium Lrp/AsnC family transcriptional factor modulates the arginase pathway as both a sensor and a transcriptional repressor

L-Arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide(NO),a host immune effector against intracellular pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb).Pathogens including M.tb have evolved various strategies targeting arginine to block the production of NO for better survival and proliferation.However,L-arginine metabolism and regulation in Mycobacterium are poorly understood.Here,we report the identification of M.smegmatis MSMEG_1415(homolog of M.tb Rv2324)as an arginine-responsive transcriptional factor regulating the arginase pathway.In the absence of L-arginine,MSMEG_1415 acts as a repressor to inhibit the transcription of the roc(for arginine,ornithine catabolism)gene cluster,thereby switching off the arginase pathway.Treatment with L-arginine relieves the transcriptional inhibition of MSMEG_1415 on the roc gene cluster to activate the arginase pathway.Moreover,the L-arginine-MSMEG_1415 complex activates the transcription of the roc gene cluster by recognizing and binding a 15-bp palindrome motif,thereby preventing the excess accumulation of L-arginine in M.smegmatis.Physiologically,MSMEG_1415 confers mycobacteria resistance to starvation and fluoroquinolones exposure,suggestive of its important role in M.smegmatis persistence.The results uncover a unique regulatory mechanism of arginine metabolism in mycobacteria and identify M.tb Rv2324 as an attractive candidate target for the design of drugs against tuberculosis.