Bacillus subtilis LmrA is known to be a repressor that regulates the lmrAB and yxaGH operons; lmrB and yxaG encode a multidrug resistance pump and quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase, respectively. The catechin effector pathway is part of a bacterial response system that enables detoxification or resistance to catechins, a group of plant-derived polyphenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties. This pathway is regulated by the LmrA regulog, in which LmrA acts as a transcriptional regulator that responds to the presence of catechins or related stress-inducing compounds. LmrA typically regulates genes that help counteract the oxidative or membrane-disrupting effects of catechins, supporting bacterial survival in plant-associated or polyphenol-rich environments. Key genes in the LmrA regulog include: yxaG – Encodes a glutathione-dependent epoxide hydrolase, an enzyme potentially involved in detoxifying reactive epoxide intermediates generated by catechin metabolism or stress responses. qodI – Encodes a quinone oxidoreductase, which likely contributes to redox balancing by reducing quinones and mitigating oxidative stress triggered by catechins.

Catechin References