, a Bacterium Harboring a Single Cold Shock Protein Encoding Gene

), can survive from 50° to 80°C, but has poor natural competence under cold shock at 50°C. We therefore examined cold shock responses and their effect on natural competence in this bacterium.CspC in the cold shock response, and also suggested a role of this protein in survival at optimum growth temperature. Repression of genes encoding ComEA and ComEC and low energy metabolism levels in cold-shocked cells are the likely basis of poor natural competence at low temperature.. At the same time, the relationship between cold shock response and poor natural competence at low temperature was preliminarily elucidated. These findings provide a foundation for future studies on genetic and molecular mechanisms associated with cold shock and acclimation at low temperature