“…It has been well documented that the master positive regulator of LEE genes, as well as of genes located outside the LEE, is the LEE-encoded regulator (Ler), whose main function is to counteract the repression exerted by H-NS on these genes (1,3,9,17,23,39,48,57,62,65,69). It has also been reported that Ler represses its own expression in a concentration-dependent fashion (4) and that it can also act as a negative regulator for other genes outside the LEE (1,61). The key role of Ler in LEE regulation makes its gene the main direct target of both positive and negative global regulators, such as H-NS, Hha, IHF, and QseA (9,20,59,60,69).…”