HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ingham, C. J. Articles by Furneaux, P. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ingham, C. J. Articles by Furneaux, P. A. Agricola Articles by Ingham, C. J. Articles by Furneaux, P. A.

Mutations in the ß subunit of the Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase that confer both rifampicin resistance and hypersensitivity to NusG

School of Biological Sciences, University Park, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK¹

Author for correspondence: C. J. Ingham. Tel: +44 20 7589 5111. Fax: +44 20 7584 2056. e-mail: c.ingham{at}ic.ac.uk

Mutations conferring resistance to the antibiotic rifampicin (Rif^r) occur at specific sites within the ß subunit of the prokaryotic RNA polymerase. Rif^r mutants of Escherichia coli are frequently altered in the elongation and termination of transcription. Rif^r rpoB mutations were isolated in Bacillus subtilis and their effects on transcription elongation factor NusG and Rho-dependent termination were investigated. RNase protection assay, Northern analysis and the expression of nusG–lacZ fusions in cells with an inducible NusG suggested the B. subtilis nusG gene was autoregulated at the level of transcription. Rif^r mutations that changed residue Q469 to a basic residue (Q469K and Q469R) enhanced autoregulation of nusG. A mutant expressing a truncated form of NusG, due to a nonsense mutation within the nusG gene, was isolated on the basis of the loss of autoregulation. The mechanism of autoregulation was found to be independent both of transcription termination factor Rho and of the promoter transcribing nusG. Autoregulation required sequences within the 5' coding sequence of the nusG gene or immediately upstream. This is the first evidence from any bacterium that Rif^r RNA polymerases can display altered transcription regulation by NusG.

Keywords: rifampicin resistance, RNA polymerase, NusG, Bacillus subtilis

^a Present address: Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. E. Perkins and W. L. Nicholson Uncovering New Metabolic Capabilities of Bacillus subtilis Using Phenotype Profiling of Rifampin-Resistant rpoB Mutants J. Bacteriol., February 1, 2008; 190(3): 807 - 814. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Maughan, B. Galeano, and W. L. Nicholson Novel rpoB Mutations Conferring Rifampin Resistance on Bacillus subtilis: Global Effects on Growth, Competence, Sporulation, and Germination J. Bacteriol., April 15, 2004; 186(8): 2481 - 2486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Inaoka, K. Takahashi, H. Yada, M. Yoshida, and K. Ochi RNA Polymerase Mutation Activates the Production of a Dormant Antibiotic 3,3'-Neotrehalosadiamine via an Autoinduction Mechanism in Bacillus subtilis J. Biol. Chem., January 30, 2004; 279(5): 3885 - 3892. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. L. Nicholson and H. Maughan The Spectrum of Spontaneous Rifampin Resistance Mutations in the rpoB Gene of Bacillussubtilis 168 Spores Differs from That of Vegetative Cells and Resembles That of Mycobacterium tuberculosis J. Bacteriol., September 1, 2002; 184(17): 4936 - 4940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Vogler, J. D. Busch, S. Percy-Fine, C. Tipton-Hunton, K. L. Smith, and P. Keim Molecular Analysis of Rifampin Resistance in Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., February 1, 2002; 46(2): 511 - 513. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]