The effect of starvation stress on the protein profiles in Flexibacter chinensis.

Background: Analysis of many proteins produced during the transition into the stationary phase and under stress conditions (including starvation stress) demonstrated that a number of novel proteins were induced in common to each stress and could be the reason for cross-protection in bacterial cells. It is necessary to investigate the synthesis of these proteins during different stress conditions.
Methods: The changes in protein profile of Flexibacter chinensis at various stages of the starvation process and the other stresses were investigated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis which has proven to be a powerful tool for investigation of the changes in protein profiles under such conditions.
Results: Most starvation proteins were synthesized during the early stationary phase and many of these proteins remained during long-term starvation. Some of these proteins were transiently synthesized. The sequencing result of one of the proteins showed that there was a 62.5% identity in 8 amino acids overlapped with the 5' residue of a 10 kDa chaperon protein which is known to be involved in the starvation stress response in other organisms.
Conclusion: There are many proteins synthesized in common with many stresses in Flexibacter chinensis. Some of these proteins must play a major role in the stability of the cell under different stresses.