A major checkpoint for protein expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides during heat stress response occurs at the level of translation.

Temperature above the physiological optimum is a stress condition frequently faced by bacteria in their natural environments. Here, we were interested in the correlation between levels of RNA and protein under heat stress. Changes in RNA and protein levels were documented in cultures of Rhodobacter sphaeroides using RNA sequencing, quantitative mass spectrometry, western blot analysis, in vivo [ S] methionine-labelling and plasmid-borne reporter fusions.