scholarly journals Interdependent YpsA- and YfhS-Mediated Cell Division and Cell Size Phenotypes in Bacillus subtilis

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Brzozowski ◽  
Brooke R. Tomlinson ◽  
Michael D. Sacco ◽  
Judy J. Chen ◽  
Anika N. Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Unknown Function ◽  
Suppressor Mutation ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Suppressor Mutations ◽  
Extragenic Suppressor ◽  
Cell Division Inhibition

ABSTRACT Although many bacterial cell division factors have been uncovered over the years, evidence from recent studies points to the existence of yet-to-be-discovered factors involved in cell division regulation. Thus, it is important to identify factors and conditions that regulate cell division to obtain a better understanding of this fundamental biological process. We recently reported that in the Gram-positive organisms Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, increased production of YpsA resulted in cell division inhibition. In this study, we isolated spontaneous suppressor mutations to uncover critical residues of YpsA and the pathways through which YpsA may exert its function. Using this technique, we were able to isolate four unique intragenic suppressor mutations in ypsA (E55D, P79L, R111P, and G132E) that rendered the mutated YpsA nontoxic upon overproduction. We also isolated an extragenic suppressor mutation in yfhS, a gene that encodes a protein of unknown function. Subsequent analysis confirmed that cells lacking yfhS were unable to undergo filamentation in response to YpsA overproduction. We also serendipitously discovered that YfhS may play a role in cell size regulation. Finally, we provide evidence showing a mechanistic link between YpsA and YfhS. IMPORTANCE Bacillus subtilis is a rod-shaped Gram-positive model organism. The factors fundamental to the maintenance of cell shape and cell division are of major interest. We show that increased expression of ypsA results in cell division inhibition and impairment of colony formation on solid medium. Colonies that do arise possess compensatory suppressor mutations. We have isolated multiple intragenic (within ypsA) mutants and an extragenic suppressor mutant. Further analysis of the extragenic suppressor mutation led to a protein of unknown function, YfhS, which appears to play a role in regulating cell size. In addition to confirming that the cell division phenotype associated with YpsA is disrupted in a yfhS-null strain, we also discovered that the cell size phenotype of the yfhS knockout mutant is abolished in a strain that also lacks ypsA. This highlights a potential mechanistic link between these two proteins; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated.

scholarly journals Suppressors of YpsA-mediated cell division inhibition in Bacillus subtilis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Brzozowski ◽  
Brooke R. Tomlinson ◽  
Michael D. Sacco ◽  
Judy J. Chen ◽  
Anika N. Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Unknown Function ◽  
Suppressor Mutation ◽  
Bacterial Cell Division ◽  
Cell Width ◽  
Suppressor Mutations ◽  
Fundamental Biological Process ◽  
Critical Residues ◽  
Cell Division Inhibition

SUMMARYAlthough many bacterial cell division factors have been uncovered over the years, evidence from recent studies points to the existence of yet to be discovered factors involved in cell division regulation. Thus, it is important to identify factors and conditions that regulate cell division to obtain a better understanding of this fundamental biological process. We recently reported that in the Gram-positive organisms Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, increased production of YpsA resulted in cell division inhibition. In this study, we isolated spontaneous suppressor mutations to uncover critical residues of YpsA and the pathways through which YpsA may exert its function. Using this technique, we were able to isolate four unique intragenic suppressor mutations in ypsA (E55D, P79L, R111P, G132E) that rendered the mutated YpsA non-toxic upon overproduction. We also isolated an extragenic suppressor mutation in yfhS, a gene that encodes a protein of unknown function. Subsequent analysis confirmed that cells lacking yfhS were unable to undergo filamentation in response to YpsA overproduction. We also serendipitously discovered that YfhS may play a role in cell size regulation.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTABBREVIATED SUMMARYIn Bacillus subtilis, we discovered that increased expression of ypsA results in cell division inhibition and impairment of colony formation on solid medium. Colonies that do arise possess compensatory suppressor mutations. Analysis of one such suppressor mutation led us to a protein of unknown function, YfhS, which appears to play a role in regulating cell length and cell width.

scholarly journals Control of Bacillus subtilis Replication Initiation during Physiological Transitions and Perturbations

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Sauls ◽  
Sarah E. Cox ◽  
Quynh Do ◽  
Victoria Castillo ◽  
Zulfar Ghulam-Jelani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Physiological Parameters ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli are evolutionarily divergent model organisms whose analysis has enabled elucidation of fundamental differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Despite their differences in cell cycle control at the molecular level, the two organisms follow the same phenomenological principle, known as the adder principle, for cell size homeostasis. We thus asked to what extent B. subtilis and E. coli share common physiological principles in coordinating growth and the cell cycle. We measured physiological parameters of B. subtilis under various steady-state growth conditions with and without translation inhibition at both the population and single-cell levels. These experiments revealed core physiological principles shared between B. subtilis and E. coli. Specifically, both organisms maintain an invariant cell size per replication origin at initiation, under all steady-state conditions, and even during nutrient shifts at the single-cell level. Furthermore, the two organisms also inherit the same “hierarchy” of physiological parameters. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that the basic principles of coordination between growth and the cell cycle in bacteria may have been established early in evolutionary history. IMPORTANCE High-throughput, quantitative approaches have enabled the discovery of fundamental principles describing bacterial physiology. These principles provide a foundation for predicting the behavior of biological systems, a widely held aspiration. However, these approaches are often exclusively applied to the best-known model organism, E. coli. In this report, we investigate to what extent quantitative principles discovered in Gram-negative E. coli are applicable to Gram-positive B. subtilis. We found that these two extremely divergent bacterial species employ deeply similar strategies in order to coordinate growth, cell size, and the cell cycle. These similarities mean that the quantitative physiological principles described here can likely provide a beachhead for others who wish to understand additional, less-studied prokaryotes.

scholarly journals Streptomycin-Induced Expression in Bacillus subtilis of YtnP, a Lactonase-Homologous Protein That Inhibits Development and Streptomycin Production in Streptomyces griseus

2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 599-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Schneider ◽  
Ana Yepes ◽  
Juan C. Garcia-Betancur ◽  
Isa Westedt ◽  
Benjamin Mielich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Streptomyces Griseus ◽  
Aerial Mycelium ◽  
Positive Bacterium ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Induced Expression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Homologous Protein

ABSTRACTBacillus subtilisinduces expression of the geneytnPin the presence of the antimicrobial streptomycin, produced by the Gram-positive bacteriumStreptomyces griseus.ytnPencodes a lactonase-homologous protein that is able to inhibit the signaling pathway required for the streptomycin production and development of aerial mycelium inS. griseus.

scholarly journals Organization of the Flagellar Switch Complex ofBacillus subtilis

2018 ◽  
Vol 201 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ward ◽  
Eun A Kim ◽  
Joseph Panushka ◽  
Tayson Botelho ◽  
Trevor Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Protein Complex ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Middle Domain ◽  
Flagellar Rotation

ABSTRACTWhile the protein complex responsible for controlling the direction (clockwise [CW] or counterclockwise [CCW]) of flagellar rotation has been fairly well studied inEscherichia coliandSalmonella, less is known about the switch complex inBacillus subtilisor other Gram-positive species. Two component proteins (FliG and FliM) are shared betweenE. coliandB. subtilis, but in place of the protein FliN found inE. coli, theB. subtiliscomplex contains the larger protein FliY. Notably, inB. subtilisthe signaling protein CheY-phosphate induces a switch from CW to CCW rotation, opposite to its action inE. coli. Here, we have examined the architecture and function of the switch complex inB. subtilisusing targeted cross-linking, bacterial two-hybrid protein interaction experiments, and characterization of mutant phenotypes. In major respects, theB. subtilisswitch complex appears to be organized similarly to that inE. coli. The complex is organized around a ring built from the large middle domain of FliM; this ring supports an array of FliG subunits organized in a similar way to that ofE. coli, with the FliG C-terminal domain functioning in the generation of torque via conserved charged residues. Key differences fromE. coliinvolve the middle domain of FliY, which forms an additional, more outboard array, and the C-terminal domains of FliM and FliY, which are organized into both FliY homodimers and FliM heterodimers. Together, the results suggest that the CW and CCW conformational states are similar in the Gram-negative and Gram-positive switches but that CheY-phosphate drives oppositely directed movements in the two cases.IMPORTANCEFlagellar motility plays key roles in the survival of many bacteria and in the harmful action of many pathogens. Bacterial flagella rotate; the direction of flagellar rotation is controlled by a multisubunit protein complex termed the switch complex. This complex has been extensively studied in Gram-negative model species, but little is known about the complex inBacillus subtilisor other Gram-positive species. Notably, the switch complex in Gram-positive species responds to its effector CheY-phosphate (CheY-P) by switching to CCW rotation, whereas inE. coliorSalmonellaCheY-P acts in the opposite way, promoting CW rotation. In the work here, the architecture of theB. subtilisswitch complex has been probed using cross-linking, protein interaction measurements, and mutational approaches. The results cast light on the organization of the complex and provide a framework for understanding the mechanism of flagellar direction control inB. subtilisand other Gram-positive species.

scholarly journals Noc Corrals Migration of FtsZ Protofilaments during Cytokinesis in Bacillus subtilis

mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanchen Yu ◽  
Jinsheng Zhou ◽  
Frederico J. Gueiros-Filho ◽  
Daniel B. Kearns ◽  
Stephen C. Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Fluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Control Cell ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Ring Formation ◽  
Microfluidic Channels ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Z Ring

ABSTRACT Bacteria that divide by binary fission form FtsZ rings at the geometric midpoint of the cell between the bulk of the replicated nucleoids. In Bacillus subtilis, the DNA- and membrane-binding Noc protein is thought to participate in nucleoid occlusion by preventing FtsZ rings from forming over the chromosome. To explore the role of Noc, we used time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to monitor FtsZ and the nucleoid of cells growing in microfluidic channels. Our data show that Noc does not prevent de novo FtsZ ring formation over the chromosome nor does Noc control cell division site selection. Instead, Noc corrals FtsZ at the cytokinetic ring and reduces migration of protofilaments over the chromosome to the future site of cell division. Moreover, we show that FtsZ protofilaments travel due to a local reduction in ZapA association, and the diffuse FtsZ rings observed in the Noc mutant can be suppressed by ZapA overexpression. Thus, Noc sterically hinders FtsZ migration away from the Z-ring during cytokinesis and retains FtsZ at the postdivisional polar site for full disassembly by the Min system. IMPORTANCE In bacteria, a condensed structure of FtsZ (Z-ring) recruits cell division machinery at the midcell, and Z-ring formation is discouraged over the chromosome by a poorly understood phenomenon called nucleoid occlusion. In B. subtilis, nucleoid occlusion has been reported to be mediated, at least in part, by the DNA-membrane bridging protein, Noc. Using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy of cells growing in microchannels, we show that Noc neither protects the chromosome from proximal Z-ring formation nor determines the future site of cell division. Rather, Noc plays a corralling role by preventing protofilaments from leaving a Z-ring undergoing cytokinesis and traveling over the nucleoid.

scholarly journals Bacteriophage SP01 Gene Product 56 Inhibits Bacillus subtilis Cell Division by Interacting with FtsL and Disrupting Pbp2B and FtsW Recruitment

2020 ◽  
Vol 203 (2) ◽  
pp. e00463-20
Author(s):  
Amit Bhambhani ◽  
Isabella Iadicicco ◽  
Jules Lee ◽  
Syed Ahmed ◽  
Max Belfatto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Gene Product ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Lytic Bacteriophage ◽  
Cell Wall Synthesis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ftsz Ring ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTPrevious work identified gene product 56 (gp56), encoded by the lytic bacteriophage SP01, as being responsible for inhibition of Bacillus subtilis cell division during its infection. Assembly of the essential tubulin-like protein FtsZ into a ring-shaped structure at the nascent site of cytokinesis determines the timing and position of division in most bacteria. This FtsZ ring serves as a scaffold for recruitment of other proteins into a mature division-competent structure permitting membrane constriction and septal cell wall synthesis. Here, we show that expression of the predicted 9.3-kDa gp56 of SP01 inhibits later stages of B. subtilis cell division without altering FtsZ ring assembly. Green fluorescent protein-tagged gp56 localizes to the membrane at the site of division. While its localization does not interfere with recruitment of early division proteins, gp56 interferes with the recruitment of late division proteins, including Pbp2b and FtsW. Imaging of cells with specific division components deleted or depleted and two-hybrid analyses suggest that gp56 localization and activity depend on its interaction with FtsL. Together, these data support a model in which gp56 interacts with a central part of the division machinery to disrupt late recruitment of the division proteins involved in septal cell wall synthesis.IMPORTANCE Studies over the past decades have identified bacteriophage-encoded factors that interfere with host cell shape or cytokinesis during viral infection. The phage factors causing cell filamentation that have been investigated to date all act by targeting FtsZ, the conserved prokaryotic tubulin homolog that composes the cytokinetic ring in most bacteria and some groups of archaea. However, the mechanisms of several phage factors that inhibit cytokinesis, including gp56 of bacteriophage SP01 of Bacillus subtilis, remain unexplored. Here, we show that, unlike other published examples of phage inhibition of cytokinesis, gp56 blocks B. subtilis cell division without targeting FtsZ. Rather, it utilizes the assembled FtsZ cytokinetic ring to localize to the division machinery and to block recruitment of proteins needed for septal cell wall synthesis.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of Undomesticated Bacillus subtilis Strain NCIB 3610

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor M. Nye ◽  
Jeremy W. Schroeder ◽  
Daniel B. Kearns ◽  
Lyle A. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Subtilis Strain ◽  
Positive Bacterium ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that serves as an important experimental system. B. subtilis NCIB 3610 is an undomesticated strain that exhibits phenotypes lost from the more common domesticated laboratory strains. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of DK1042, a genetically competent derivative of NCIB 3610.

scholarly journals A Conserved Class II Type Thioester Domain-Containing Adhesin Is Required for Efficient Conjugation in Bacillus subtilis

mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
César Gago-Córdoba ◽  
Jorge Val-Calvo ◽  
David Abia ◽  
Alberto Díaz-Talavera ◽  
Andrés Miguel-Arribas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Recipient Cell ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Pair Formation ◽  
Conjugative Plasmid ◽  
Mating Pair ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria

ABSTRACT Conjugation, the process by which a DNA element is transferred from a donor to a recipient cell, is the main horizontal gene transfer route responsible for the spread of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Contact between a donor and a recipient cell is a prerequisite for conjugation, because conjugative DNA is transferred into the recipient via a channel connecting the two cells. Conjugative elements encode proteins dedicated to facilitating the recognition and attachment to recipient cells, also known as mating pair formation. A subgroup of the conjugative elements is able to mediate efficient conjugation during planktonic growth, and mechanisms facilitating mating pair formation will be particularly important in these cases. Conjugative elements of Gram-negative bacteria encode conjugative pili, also known as sex pili, some of which are retractile. Far less is known about mechanisms that promote mating pair formation in Gram-positive bacteria. The conjugative plasmid pLS20 of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis allows efficient conjugation in liquid medium. Here, we report the identification of an adhesin gene in the pLS20 conjugation operon. The N-terminal region of the adhesin contains a class II type thioester domain (TED) that is essential for efficient conjugation, particularly in liquid medium. We show that TED-containing adhesins are widely conserved in Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogens where they often play crucial roles in pathogenesis. Our study is the first to demonstrate the involvement of a class II type TED-containing adhesin in conjugation. IMPORTANCE Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has become a serious health care problem. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria of the same or different species is often mediated by a process named conjugation, where a donor cell transfers DNA to a recipient cell through a connecting channel. The first step in conjugation is recognition and attachment of the donor to a recipient cell. Little is known about this first step, particularly in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we show that the conjugative plasmid pLS20 of Bacillus subtilis encodes an adhesin protein that is essential for effective conjugation. This adhesin protein has a structural organization similar to adhesins produced by other Gram-positive bacteria, including major pathogens, where the adhesins serve in attachment to host tissues during colonization and infection. Our findings may thus also open novel avenues to design drugs that inhibit the spread of antibiotic resistance by blocking the first recipient-attachment step in conjugation.

Suppressor mutations for crs mutants of Bacillus subtilis

1985 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 429-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Sun ◽  
I. Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Resistance Gene ◽  
Resistance Mutation ◽  
Suppressor Mutation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Erythromycin Resistance ◽  
Wild Type Level ◽  
Suppressor Mutations ◽  
Metabolic Activities

Mutants of Bacillus subtilis which carried suppressor mutations for catabolite-resistance gene crsA47 were isolated from methylmethanesulfonate-treated cultures of GLU-47 (crsA47). The suppressor mutation, sca19, suppressed resistance of crsA47 mutant to glucose and other inhibitors of sporulation. Moreover, the suppressor mutation could restore the rate of growth and the level of IMP dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase of crsA47 mutant to the wild-type level. The sca19 mutation was also able to suppress catabolite resistance of other crs mutants. The map position of the sea19 mutation indicated that this mutation was an intergenic suppressor for the crs mutants. It was also found that an erythromycin-resistance mutation, ery1, could suppress the catabolite resistance of some of the crs mutants. Our results were discussed in relation to the importance of a proper state of metabolic activities and membrane functions during the initiation of sporulation.

scholarly journals Regulatory RNAs in Bacillus subtilis: a Gram-Positive Perspective on Bacterial RNA-Mediated Regulation of Gene Expression

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1029-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben A. T. Mars ◽  
Pierre Nicolas ◽  
Emma L. Denham ◽  
Jan Maarten van Dijl
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Regulatory Rna ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Small Regulatory Rnas ◽  
Regulatory Rnas ◽  
The Stability

SUMMARYBacteria can employ widely diverse RNA molecules to regulate their gene expression. Such molecules includetrans-acting small regulatory RNAs, antisense RNAs, and a variety of transcriptional attenuation mechanisms in the 5′ untranslated region. Thus far, most regulatory RNA research has focused on Gram-negative bacteria, such asEscherichia coliandSalmonella. Hence, there is uncertainty about whether the resulting insights can be extrapolated directly to other bacteria, such as the Gram-positive soil bacteriumBacillus subtilis. A recent study identified 1,583 putative regulatory RNAs inB. subtilis, whose expression was assessed across 104 conditions. Here, we review the current understanding of RNA-based regulation inB. subtilis, and we categorize the newly identified putative regulatory RNAs on the basis of their conservation in other bacilli and the stability of their predicted secondary structures. Our present evaluation of the publicly available data indicates that RNA-mediated gene regulation inB. subtilismostly involves elements at the 5′ ends of mRNA molecules. These can include 5′ secondary structure elements and metabolite-, tRNA-, or protein-binding sites. Importantly, sense-independent segments are identified as the most conserved and structured potential regulatory RNAs inB. subtilis. Altogether, the present survey provides many leads for the identification of new regulatory RNA functions inB. subtilis.

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