Sporulation regulatory protein gerE from Bacillus subtilis binds to and can activate or repress transcription from promoters for mother-cell-specific genes

Zheng, Liyun; Halberg, Richard B.; Roels, Sarah; Ichikawa, Hiroshi; Kroos, Lee; Losick, Richard

doi:10.1016/0022-2836(92)91051-p

Cited by 111 publications

(142 citation statements)

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“…In the mother cell, activation of E is followed by the synthesis and activation of K . In addition, two small, DNA-binding proteins, SpoIIID and GerE, activate or repress transcription of many mother cell-specific genes (3)(4)(5)(6). The mother cell transcription factors form a hierarchical regulatory cascade in which the synthesis of each factor depends upon the activity of the prior factor, in the order E , SpoIIID, K , and finally GerE (7).…”

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confidence: 99%

Negative Regulation by the Bacillus subtilis GerE Protein

Ichikawa

Halberg²,

Kroos

1999

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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GerE is a transcription factor produced in the mother cell compartment of sporulating Bacillus subtilis. It is a critical regulator of cot genes encoding proteins that form the spore coat late in development. Most cot genes, and the gerE gene, are transcribed by K RNA polymerase. Previously, it was shown that the GerE protein inhibits transcription in vitro of the sigK gene encoding K . Here, we show that GerE binds near the sigK transcriptional start site, to act as a repressor. A sigK-lacZ fusion containing the GerE-binding site in the promoter region was expressed at a 2-fold lower level during sporulation of wild-type cells than gerE mutant cells. Likewise, the level of SigK protein (i.e. pro-K and K ) was lower in sporulating wild-type cells than in a gerE mutant. These results demonstrate that K -dependent transcription of gerE initiates a negative feedback loop in which GerE acts as a repressor to limit production of K . In addition, GerE directly represses transcription of particular cot genes. We show that GerE binds to two sites that span the ؊35 region of the cotD promoter. A low level of GerE activated transcription of cotD by K RNA polymerase in vitro, but a higher level of GerE repressed cotD transcription. The upstream GerE-binding site was required for activation but not for repression. These results suggest that a rising level of GerE in sporulating cells may first activate cotD transcription from the upstream site then repress transcription as the downstream site becomes occupied. Negative regulation by GerE, in addition to its positive effects on transcription, presumably ensures that K and spore coat proteins are synthesized at optimal levels to produce a germination-competent spore.

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Negative Regulation by the Bacillus subtilis GerE Protein

Ichikawa

Halberg²,

Kroos

1999

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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“…Thus, csk22 belongs to the group of genes in the first class of K -dependent gene expression that are repressed by GerE. This group includes cotA (57), spoVF (15), and sigK (38,39,68,69). csk22 is transiently expressed under K control, perhaps indicating that its product is required only soon after activation of the K regulon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4C). A sequence that conforms to the proposed GerE binding site (RWWTRGGY--YY [the abbreviations are as above]) (66,69) and that could be involved in repression is underlined in the csk22 regulatory region (Fig. 2C).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An indirect effect of this is the triggering of a signal transduction pathway emanating from the forespore, which results in the conversion of pro-K to active K in the mother cell (13,46). Among the first genes transcribed by E K is gerE, encoding a small DNA-binding protein (11,68,69). In combination with E K , GerE controls the expression of the last temporal class of mother-cell gene expression, defined by genes such as cotB and cotC, encoding structural components of the spore coat (18,69).…”

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“…Among the first genes transcribed by E K is gerE, encoding a small DNA-binding protein (11,68,69). In combination with E K , GerE controls the expression of the last temporal class of mother-cell gene expression, defined by genes such as cotB and cotC, encoding structural components of the spore coat (18,69). The phenotype of sigK mutants indicates that E K activity is required for the late steps in cortex and coat synthesis, a process initiated under E control (see above), and for spore maturation (15).…”

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cse15, cse60, and csk22 are new members of mother-cell-specific sporulation regulons in Bacillus subtilis

et al. 1997

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We report on the characterization of three new transcription units expressed during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Two of the units, cse15 and cse60, were mapped at about 123؇ and 62؇ on the genetic map, respectively. Their transcription commenced around h 2 of sporulation and showed an absolute requirement for E . Maximal expression of both cse15 and cse60 further depended on the DNA-binding protein SpoIIID. Primer extension results revealed ؊10 and ؊35 sequences upstream of the cse15 and cse60 coding sequences very similar to those utilized by E -containing RNA polymerase. Alignment of these and other regulatory regions led to a revised consensus sequence for E -dependent promoters. A third transcriptional unit, designated csk22, was localized at approximately 173؇ on the chromosome. Transcription of csk22 was activated at h 4 of sporulation, required the late mother-cell regulator K , and was repressed by the GerE protein. Sequences in the csk22 promoter region were similar to those of other K -dependent promoters. The cse60 locus was deduced to encode an acidic product of only 60 residues. A 37.6-kDa protein apparently encoded by cse15 was weakly related to the heavy chain of myosins, as well as to other myosin-like proteins, and is predicted to contain a central, 100 residue-long coiled-coil domain. Finally, csk22 is inferred to encode a 18.2-kDa hydrophobic product with five possible membrane-spanning helices, which could function as a transporter.

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