Effects of cooling on E. coli ’s DNA organization, structure, and gene expression

Bacteria are frequently subject to potentially lethal temperature shifts in their natural environments. We review the changes in the structure and dynamics of the gene regulatory network of the bacterium Escherichia coli during cold shocks. First, we describe the effects of cold shocks on higher-order cellular structures (cytoplasm and membrane) and functions (growth, division, and biofilm formation). Next, we focus on the nucleoid, DNA supercoiling, topoisomerases, ATP, and nucleoid-associated proteins. Afterward, we describe the mutual effects of changes in transcription dynamics and DNA supercoiling during cold shocks, followed by the consequent genome-wide, time-lapse changes in the transcriptome. Finally, we briefly describe the post-transcriptional effects of cold shocks and the cellular processes of acclimatization. In the end, we discuss how studying this topic can assist in developing temperature-sensitive synthetic genetic circuits, efficient bioindustrial processes, and new means to cope with bacterial antibiotic tolerance.