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Microbiology 155 (2009), 2282-2287; DOI  10.1099/mic.0.026435-0
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Microbiology 155 (2009), 2282-2287; DOI  10.1099/mic.0.026435-0
© 2009 Society for General Microbiology

SwrAA activates poly-{gamma}-glutamate synthesis in addition to swarming in Bacillus subtilis

Cecilia Osera, Giuseppe Amati, Cinzia Calvio and Alessandro Galizzi

Dipartimento di Genetica e Microbiologia, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy

Poly-{gamma}-glutamic acid ({gamma}-PGA) is an extracellular polymer produced by various strains of Bacillus. It was first described as the component of the capsule in Bacillus anthracis, where it plays a relevant role in virulence. {gamma}-PGA is also a distinctive component of ‘natto’, a traditional Japanese food consisting of soybean fermented by Bacillus subtilis (natto). Domesticated B. subtilis strains do not synthesize {gamma}-PGA although they possess the functional biosynthetic pgs operon. In the present work we explore the correlation between the genetic determinants, swrAA and degU, which allow a derivative of the domestic strain JH642 to display a mucoid colony morphology on LB agar plates due to the production of {gamma}-PGA. Full activation of the pgs operon requires the co-presence of SwrAA and the phosphorylated form of DegU (DegU~P). The presence of either DegU~P or SwrAA alone has only marginal effects on pgs operon transcription and {gamma}-PGA production. Although SwrAA was identified as necessary for swarming and full swimming motility together with DegU, we show that motility is not involved in {gamma}-PGA production. Activation of {gamma}-PGA synthesis is therefore a motility-independent phenotype in which SwrAA and DegU~P display a cooperative effect.

Correspondence
Cinzia Calvio
cinzia.calvio{at}unipv.it

Abbreviations: {gamma}-PGA, poly-{gamma}-glutamic acid; DegU~P, phosphorylated DegU; wt, wild-type






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Copyright © 2009 Society for General Microbiology.