The histone-like protein HU has a role in gene expression during the acid adaptation response in Helicobacter pylori.

Those results showed that H. pylori gene expression is altered by shift to low pH, thus confirming that acid exposure leads to profound changes in genomic expression, and suggest that the HU protein is a regulator that may help the bacterium adapt to the acid stress. In accordance with previous reports, we found that the HU protein participates in gene expression regulation when the microorganism is exposed to acid stress. Such transcriptional regulation underlies protein accumulation in the H. pylori cell.