Characterization and analysis of a new gene involved in glucose starvation response in Enterococcus faecalis

The genome sequence of Enterococcus faecalis, led us to discover that gls24, encoding a general stress protein, seems to be in the second last position of a putative six-gene operon structure. Interestingly, another gene named orf4 located just upstream from gls24 shows strong identity (72%) with this last. To determine the role of the orf4 gene in E. faecalis, we have constructed a mutant strain by homologous recombination. Phenotypic analysis of these cells, reveals that Orf4 is probably involved in cell structure in stationary phase.