May play a role in the establishment of a persistent infection (latency) in the host, as strains without this gene are hypervirulent. Overexpression of the protein retards growth in culture; Glu-15 and Ala-117 mutant proteins which bind less ATP do not show this retardation, suggesting growth may be regulated through an ATP-dependent function. Homodimer. A member of the dormancy regulon. Induced in response to reduced oxygen tension (hypoxia), low levels of nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). It is hoped that this regulon will give insight into the latent, or dormant phase of infection. Induced in mouse lungs at the same time that adaptive host immunity induces bacterial growth arrest; induction is dependent on interferon gamma. The deletion strain is hypervirulent compared to the wild-type strain in infection studies with outbred Hartley guinea pigs and with C3H/HeJ mice but not with C57BL/6 mice. No phenotype when grown in culture upon disruption, probably due to functional redundancy among paralogs. Was identified as a high-confidence drug target. Belongs to the universal stress protein A family.