| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Development and Structure |
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK1
Author for correspondence: Simon J. Foster. Tel: +44 114 222 4411. Fax: +44 114 272 8697. e-mail: S.Foster{at}sheffield.ac.uk
The role of the sleB gene of Bacillus subtilis, which encodes a putative spore-cortex-lytic enzyme, and the downstream ypeB gene were investigated. Both SleB and YpeB were required for normal germination to occur. The corresponding mutants formed phase-bright, heat-resistant spores with no apparent defects in dormancy. However, mutant spore suspensions lost optical density slower than the wild-type and spores were phase-grey even 12 h after the triggering of germination. Since the loss of heat resistance and release of dipicolinic acid was similar to the wild-type, these mutants were blocked in the later stages of germination. The mutants were nevertheless capable of outgrowth on rich agar to form colonies, indicating that other spore components can compensate for their function sufficiently to allow outgrowth. The expression and regulation of the operon was examined using a lacZ transcriptional fusion. Expression of the operon began 2 h after the onset of sporulation and was under the control of RNA polymerase containing the forespore-specific sigma factor, 
G. The application of reverse phase HPLC revealed that the mutants do not have any structural defect in the dormant spore cortex and therefore these genes are not required for normal spore-cortex synthesis. The analysis of peptidoglycan dynamics during germination showed, however, that the cortex was only partially hydrolysed in both mutants. This analysis also revealed that the likely hydrolytic bond specificity of SleB is likely to be that of a lytic transglycosylase.
Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, endospores, germination, peptidoglycan, cortex hydrolysis
Abbreviations: GSLE, germination-specific lytic enzyme; MUG, methylumbelliferyl ß-D-galactoside; RP-HPLC, reverse phase HPLC
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. M. Dowd, B. Orsburn, and D. L. Popham Cortex Peptidoglycan Lytic Activity in Germinating Bacillus anthracis Spores J. Bacteriol., July 1, 2008; 190(13): 4541 - 4548. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Real, S. M. Pinto, G. Schyns, T. Costa, A. O. Henriques, and C. P. Moran Jr. A Gene Encoding a Holin-Like Protein Involved in Spore Morphogenesis and Spore Germination in Bacillus subtilis J. Bacteriol., September 15, 2005; 187(18): 6443 - 6453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Bailey-Smith, S. J. Todd, T. W. Southworth, J. Proctor, and A. Moir The ExsA Protein of Bacillus cereus Is Required for Assembly of Coat and Exosporium onto the Spore Surface J. Bacteriol., June 1, 2005; 187(11): 3800 - 3806. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Steil, M. Serrano, A. O. Henriques, and U. Volker Genome-wide analysis of temporally regulated and compartment-specific gene expression in sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis Microbiology, February 1, 2005; 151(2): 399 - 420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E.-M. Lai, N. D. Phadke, M. T. Kachman, R. Giorno, S. Vazquez, J. A. Vazquez, J. R. Maddock, and A. Driks Proteomic Analysis of the Spore Coats of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis J. Bacteriol., February 15, 2003; 185(4): 1443 - 1454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Chirakkal, M. O'Rourke, A. Atrih, S. J. Foster, and A. Moir Analysis of spore cortex lytic enzymes and related proteins in Bacillus subtilis endospore germination Microbiology, August 1, 2002; 148(8): 2383 - 2392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. Bagyan and P. Setlow Localization of the Cortex Lytic Enzyme CwlJ in Spores of Bacillus subtilis J. Bacteriol., February 15, 2002; 184(4): 1219 - 1224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Atrih and S. J. Foster In vivo roles of the germination-specific lytic enzymes of Bacillus subtilis 168 Microbiology, November 1, 2001; 147(11): 2925 - 2932. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. C. McPherson, A. Driks, and D. L. Popham Two Class A High-Molecular-Weight Penicillin-Binding Proteins of Bacillus subtilis Play Redundant Roles in Sporulation J. Bacteriol., October 15, 2001; 183(20): 6046 - 6053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Paidhungat, K. Ragkousi, and P. Setlow Genetic Requirements for Induction of Germination of Spores of Bacillus subtilis by Ca2+-Dipicolinate J. Bacteriol., August 15, 2001; 183(16): 4886 - 4893. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Setlow, E. Melly, and P. Setlow Properties of Spores of Bacillus subtilis Blocked at an Intermediate Stage in Spore Germination J. Bacteriol., August 15, 2001; 183(16): 4894 - 4899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. Smith, S. A. Blackman, and S. J. Foster Autolysins of Bacillus subtilis: multiple enzymes with multiple functions Microbiology, February 1, 2000; 146(2): 249 - 262. [Full Text]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL | MICROBIOLOGY | J GEN VIROL |
| J MED MICROBIOL | ALL SGM JOURNALS | |
