Isolation and characterization of mutations in the gene encoding an endogenous Bacillus subtilis beta-galactosidase and its regulator

Errington, Jeff; Vogt, Cornelia

doi:10.1128/jb.172.1.488-490.1990

Cited by 40 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…5a). As expected, P-galactosidase was produced by the strain containing pSG 1020 but not by that containing pSG 173 (apart from the low level of endogenous activity; Errington & Vogt, 1990). Surprisingly, the peak P-galactosidase activity in SG38 : : pSG1020 was found at to, in the first sample taken.…”

Section: Regulation Of Spozzij Expresssionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Structure and function of the spoIIIJ gene of Bacillus subtilis: a vegetatively expressed gene that is essential for G activity at an intermediate stage of sporulation

Errington

Appleby

Daniel

et al. 1992

Journal of General Microbiology

111

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The spo-87 mutation is one of two sporulation mutations originally used to define the spUJ locus of Bacillus subtiIis. We now show that it blocks sporulation after completion of prespore engulfment (stage 111). Surprisingly, the operon is expressed vegetatively, probably from a @*-dependent promoter, and its expression is shut down at the transcriptional level at about the onset of sporulation. DNA sequencing reveals that the locus defined by sp0-87, which we now designate spIIIJ, consists of a bicistronic operon. However, only the first gene is essential for sporulation; the function of the second cistron is cryptic. The predicted SpoIIIJ product has an M, of 29409. It probably forms a lipoprotein and is rich in basic and hydrophobic amino acids. Mutations in spoIIIJ abolish the transcription of prespore-specific genes transcribed by the nC form of RNA polymerase but not transcription of the spoIIIG gene encoding oc. The SpoIIIJ product could be involved in a signal transduction pathway coupling gene expression in the prespore to events in the mother cell, or it could be necessary for essential metabolic interactions between the two cells.

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Section: Regulation Of Spozzij Expresssionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Structure and function of the spoIIIJ gene of Bacillus subtilis: a vegetatively expressed gene that is essential for G activity at an intermediate stage of sporulation

Errington

Appleby

Daniel

et al. 1992

Journal of General Microbiology

111

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“…These plasmids (pHT304⍀B1) transformed B. subtilis PlcAЈZ to Em r and confer on the bacteria a blue phenotype on LB-X-Gal plates containing erythromycin. However, they were unable to confer a blue phenotype on the B. subtilis wild-type strain 168, thus indicating that the 1.7-kb insert has an effect on the expression of the plcAЈ-ЈlacZ fusion but not on the resident lacZ gene of B. subtilis, which is naturally repressed in the wild-type strain 168 (9).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a Bacillus thuringiensis gene that positively regulates transcription of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C gene at the onset of the stationary phase

et al. 1996

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A transcriptional analysis of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (plcA) gene of Bacillus thuringiensis indicated that its transcription was activated at the onset of the stationary phase in B. thuringiensis but was not activated in B. subtilis. The B. thuringiensis gene encoding a transcriptional activator required for plcA expression was cloned by using a B. subtilis strain carrying a chromosomal plcA-lacZ fusion as a heterologous host for selection. This trans activator (designated PlcR) is a protein of a calculated molecular weight of 33,762 which appears to be distantly related to PreL and NprA, regulator proteins enhancing transcription of neutral protease genes during the stationary phase of a Lactobacillus sp. and B. stearothermophilus, respectively. plcR gene transcription was analyzed in B. thuringiensis and in B. subtilis. PlcR positively regulated its own transcription at the onset of the stationary phase. There is a highly conserved DNA sequence (17 bp) 34 nucleotides upstream from the plcR transcriptional start site and 49 nucleotides upstream from the plcA transcriptional start site. As PlcR positively regulates its own transcription and plcA transcription, this conserved DNA sequence may be the specific recognition target for PlcR activation.Phospholipases C that specifically cleave phosphatidylinositol (PI-PLCs) have been isolated from several gram-positive bacteria (for a review, see reference 48). The plcA genes encoding PI-PLCs from Bacillus cereus, B. thuringiensis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes have been cloned and sequenced (6,15,21,22,32), and the deduced amino acid sequences show extensive similarity (about 50%). The PI-PLC of L. monocytogenes contributes to the growth of bacteria in infected cells and is therefore considered to be a virulence factor (45). Expression of plcA in L. monocytogenes is positively regulated during the growth phase by the pleiotropic transcriptional activator PrfA (33). The S. aureus PI-PLC is also a potential virulence factor. Its production is positively regulated by Agr, a pleiotropic regulator which activates expression of several staphylococcal exoproteins at the end of the exponential growth (6, 41).B. thuringiensis is known for its entomopathogenic properties which are partly due to the production of a variety of larvicidal crystal proteins designated Cry (for reviews, see references 17 and 26). When ingested by susceptible insect larvae, these crystal proteins are dissolved in the insect gut and activated. They bind to specific receptors on the surface of the midgut epithelial cells, forming transmembrane pores and causing cell lysis. This toxic effect either kills the susceptible insects or weakens them, creating favorable conditions for the germination of spores in the gut environment. Thereafter, the bacteria can invade the hemocoel from the gut and cause septicemia. The contribution of the B. thuringiensis spores to overall virulence has been demonstrated: insecticidal activity against some lepidopteran species requ...

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“…Strain 801 was used for the isolation of mutations bypassing the effects of spoZZGB55 on expression of spoZZIG-lacZ. NTG mutagenesis was carried out as described by Errington & Vogt (1990), and the mutagenized cells were plated on nutrient agar containing X-Gal.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of new mutations in the spoIIAB gene of Bacillus subtilis on the regulation of F and G activities

Foulger

Errington

1993

Journal of General Microbiology

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~~ ~~The spoZZAB gene of BaciZZus subtilis encodes an inhibitor of &, a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the establishment of prespore-specific gene expression during sporulation. The SpoIIAB protein can probably also inhibit a closely related sigma factor cc, which determines the later phase of prespore-specific transcription. We have isolated two new missense mutations in the spoZZAB gene. spoZZAB28 behaves like the previously described spoZZAB1 mutation, in that it mainly affects the activity of 8. In contrast, the spoZZAB22 mutation seems to be impaired mainly in its ability to inhibit cF. All three missense mutations are clustered in the N-terminal coding region of spoZZAB, suggesting that this region of the protein interacts with the sigma factors. The extreme N-terminal part of SpoIIAB may be specifically concerned with the regulation of cc activity.

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Isolation and characterization of mutations in the gene encoding an endogenous Bacillus subtilis beta-galactosidase and its regulator

Cited by 40 publications

References 14 publications

Structure and function of the spoIIIJ gene of Bacillus subtilis: a vegetatively expressed gene that is essential for G activity at an intermediate stage of sporulation

Structure and function of the spoIIIJ gene of Bacillus subtilis: a vegetatively expressed gene that is essential for G activity at an intermediate stage of sporulation

Identification of a Bacillus thuringiensis gene that positively regulates transcription of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C gene at the onset of the stationary phase

Effects of new mutations in the spoIIAB gene of Bacillus subtilis on the regulation of F and G activities

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