Metal‐responsive RNA polymerase extracytoplasmic function ( ECF ) sigma factors

What is it about?

Bacteria use ECF sigma factors to maintain metal homeostasis. They regulate the expression of genes either to import metals under conditions of metal depletion or to reduce toxicity when metal concentrations are excessive. These adaptive mechanisms can be complex, consisting of several proteins with different cell locations, or very simple, consisting of only the sigma factor capable of sensing the metal and triggering the response.

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