Bacillus subtilis spoVIF (yjcC) gene, involved in coat assembly and spore resistance

Abstract

In systematic screening four sporulation-specific genes, yjcA, yjcB, yjcZ and yjcC, of unknown function were found in Bacillus subtilis. These genes are located just upstream of the cotVWXYZ gene cluster oriented in the opposite direction. Northern blot analysis showed that yjcA was transcribed by the SigE RNA polymerase beginning 2 h (t 2 ) after the onset of sporulation, and yjcB, yjcZ and yjcC were transcribed by the SigK RNA polymerase beginning at t 4 of sporulation. The transcription of yjcZ was dependent on SigK and GerE. The consensus sequences of the appropriate sigma factors were found upstream of each gene. There were putative GerE-binding sites upstream of yjcZ. Insertional inactivation of the yjcC gene resulted in a reduction in resistance of the mutant spores to lysozyme and heat. Transmission electron microscopic examination of yjcC spores revealed a defect of sporulation at stage VI, resulting in loss of spore coats. These results suggest that YjcC is involved in assembly of spore coat proteins that have roles in lysozyme resistance. It is proposed that yjcC should be renamed as spoVIF.

Cardiolipin Enrichment in Spore Membranes and Its Involvement in Germination of Bacillus subtilis Marburg

“…The TF35 strain that harbors gerE :: cat has been described in Kuwana et al (2003). The gerE disruption causes a defect in spore coat formation and makes the spore sensitive to lysozyme as described by Moir (1981).…”

Direct and Indirect Control of Late Sporulation Genes by GerR of Bacillus subtilis

“…3, spoVIF expression was significantly lower in the gerR mutant than in the congenic wild-type strain. These results indicate that while GerR does not control the expression of gerE, it positively controls the expression of spoVIF whose product regulates the level of GerE accumulation in the mother cell (10,11). On the basis of these results, we conclude that GerR acts indirectly on GerE and that its role on at least some of the GerR-controlled cot genes could be indirect and mediated by GerE.…”

“…It has been previously reported that GerE fails to accumulate in the sporulating cells of a strain carrying a null mutation in the spoVIF gene (10,11). Since GerE is normally synthesized in the spoVIF mutant, a positive posttranslational effect of SpoVIF on GerE has been proposed (10,11).…”

“…Since GerE is normally synthesized in the spoVIF mutant, a positive posttranslational effect of SpoVIF on GerE has been proposed (10,11). Since the SpoVIF structural gene is K dependent and GerE independent (10, 11), we hypothesized that GerR indirectly controls GerE activity by affecting the expression of the spoVIF gene.…”

“…spoVIF expression is directly controlled by GerR (Fig. 5) which, in turn, positively acts on GerE at a posttranscriptional level (10,11).…”