The Stress Response in Bacterial Cells is an exaggerated normal response

Bacterial pathogens are capable of surviving in almost all types of environmental conditions on the earth. They have tenacity to survive in extremely harsh and varied conditions ranging from hot springs to ice-cold arctic region. The survival of bacteria under such conditions depends on its ability to recognize and respond to such intense changes with proper adjustment in protein activity and gene expression. Stress responses are transitory. A change in the environment is detected first by the cell which adjusts its gene expression to neutralize the effects of the stress on its genetic components and after that regains a steady state. In this study, stress produced at elevated temperature in bacterial cells and its effect on virulence of the organism was considered mainly. The determinants of virulence are controlled by transcriptional activators which activate with the changes in temperature. Temperature stress responses get regulated at both transcriptional and post transcriptional level. σ32 acts as the main valve of the heat shock response in E.coli. Stress responses escalate the pathogenicity of the bacteria by expressing virulence genes.