Characterisation of Bacillus subtilis Transcriptional Regulators Involved in Metabolic Processes

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Brantl ◽  
Andreas Licht
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Metabolic Processes

scholarly journals Phage-encoded sigma factors alter bacterial dormancy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A Schwartz ◽  
Brent K Lehmkuhl ◽  
Jay T Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Metabolic Activity ◽  
Gene Network ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Sigma Factors ◽  
Lytic Infection ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Spore Yield

By entering a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity, dormant microorganisms are able to tolerate suboptimal conditions that would otherwise reduce their fitness. Dormancy may also benefit bacteria by serving as a refuge from parasitic infections. Here we focus on dormancy in the Firmicutes, where endospore development is transcriptionally regulated by the expression of sigma factors. A disruption of this process could influence the survivorship and reproduction of phages that infect spore-forming hosts with implications for coevolutionary dynamics. Here, we characterized the distribution and diversity of sigma factors in nearly 3,500 phage genomes. Homologs of sporulation-specific sigma factors were identified in phages that infect spore-forming hosts. Unlike sigma factors required for phage reproduction, the sporulation-like sigma factors were non-essential for lytic infection. However, when expressed in the spore-forming Bacillus subtilis, sigma factors from phages activated the bacterial sporulation gene network and reduced spore yield. Our findings suggest that the acquisition of host-like transcriptional regulators may allow phages to manipulate a complex and ancient trait in one of the most abundant cell types on Earth.

Bacillus subtilis transcriptional regulators interaction

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Sánchez ◽  
Jorge Olmos
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators

scholarly journals A Region of Bacillus subtilis CodY Protein Required for Interaction with DNA

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (12) ◽  
pp. 4127-4139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Joseph ◽  
Manoja Ratnayake-Lecamwasam ◽  
Abraham L. Sonenshein
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Dna Recognition ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Regulation Of Transcription ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Target Promoters

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis CodY protein is the best-studied member of a novel family of global transcriptional regulators found ubiquitously in low-G+C gram-positive bacteria. As for many DNA-binding proteins, CodY appears to have a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif thought to be critical for interaction with DNA. This putative HTH motif was found to be highly conserved in the CodY homologs. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify amino acids within this motif that are important for DNA recognition and binding. The effects of each mutation on DNA binding in vitro and on the regulation of transcription in vivo from two target promoters were tested. Each of the mutations had similar effects on binding to the two promoters in vitro, but some mutations had differential effects in vivo.

scholarly journals Homologies and Divergences in the Transcription Regulatory System of Two Related Bacillus subtilis Phages

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (18) ◽  
pp. 6403-6409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Pérez-Lago ◽  
Margarita Salas ◽  
Ana Camacho
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcriptional Regulation ◽  
Transcription Regulation ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Coordinated Control ◽  
Promoter Sequence ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Regulatory Proteins ◽  
Related Phage ◽  
Late Transcription

ABSTRACT Transcription regulation relies on the molecular interplay between the RNA polymerase and regulatory factors. Phages of the φ29-like genus encode two regulatory proteins, p4 and p6. In φ29, the switch from early to late transcription is based on the synergistic binding of proteins p4 and p6 to the promoter sequence, resulting in a nucleosome-like structure able to synergize or antagonize the binding of RNAP. We show that a nucleosome-like structure of p4 and p6 is also formed in the related phage Nf and that this structure is responsible for the coordinated control of the early and late promoters. However, in spite of their homologies, the transcriptional regulators are not interchangeable, and only when all of the components of the Nf regulatory system are present is fully active transcriptional regulation of the Nf promoters achieved.

scholarly journals The fnr Gene of Bacillus licheniformis and the Cysteine Ligands of the C-Terminal FeS Cluster

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (13) ◽  
pp. 3483-3485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anette Klinger ◽  
Jan Schirawski ◽  
Philippe Glaser ◽  
Gottfried Unden
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Nitrate Reductase ◽  
Bacillus Licheniformis ◽  
Anaerobic Bacterium ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Anaerobic Growth ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Terminal Cluster

ABSTRACT In the facultatively anaerobic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis a gene encoding a protein of the fumarate nitrate reductase family of transcriptional regulators (Fnr) was isolated. Unlike Fnr proteins from gram-negative bacteria, but like Fnr fromBacillus subtilis, the protein contained a C-terminal cluster of cysteine residues. Unlike in Fnr from B. subtilis, this cluster (Cys226-X2-Cys229-X4-Cys234) is composed of only three Cys residues, which are supposed to serve together with an internal residue (Cys71) as the ligands for an FeS center. Transfer of the B. licheniformis gene to anfnr mutant of B. subtilis complemented the ability for synthesis of nitrate reductase during anaerobic growth.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Bacillus subtilis scoC Expression by Multicopy senS

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (24) ◽  
pp. 8526-8530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Kawachi ◽  
Sadanobu Abe ◽  
Teruo Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Initiation Site ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
Northern Analysis ◽  
Multicopy Plasmid ◽  
Transcription Level ◽  
Epistatic Analysis

ABSTRACT The Bacillus subtilis aprE gene, which encodes the extracellular alkaline protease, is regulated by many positive and negative transcriptional regulators. SenS is one such positive regulator consisting of 65 amino acids. We found that the senS gene on a multicopy plasmid, pSEN24, caused an increase in aprE expression in strains carrying the upstream region of aprE up to −340 with respect to the transcription initiation site but not in a strain carrying the region up to −299, which is within the binding site of the negative regulator ScoC (Hpr). Epistatic analysis showed that the pSEN24 effect was lost in a scoC-deleted mutant. In accordance with these results, the scoC transcription level as assayed by a scoC-lacZ fusion and Northern analysis was greatly reduced in the cells carrying pSEN24. From these results we conclude that multicopy senS enhances aprE expression by suppressing the transcription of scoC.

scholarly journals Global Transcriptional Regulators Fine-Tune the Translational and Metabolic Efficiency for Optimal Growth of Escherichia coli

mSystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh S. Iyer ◽  
Ankita Pal ◽  
Sumana Srinivasan ◽  
Pramod R. Somvanshi ◽  
K. V. Venkatesh
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Exponential Growth ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptional Regulatory Network ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Metabolic Processes ◽  
Intracellular Metabolites ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Global transcriptional regulators coordinate complex genetic interactions that bestow better adaptability for an organism against external and internal perturbations. These transcriptional regulators are known to control an enormous array of genes with diverse functionalities. However, regulator-driven molecular mechanisms that underpin precisely tuned translational and metabolic processes conducive for rapid exponential growth remain obscure. Here, we comprehensively reveal the fundamental role of global transcriptional regulators FNR, ArcA, and IHF in sustaining translational and metabolic efficiency under glucose fermentative conditions in Escherichia coli. By integrating high-throughput gene expression profiles and absolute intracellular metabolite concentrations, we illustrate that these regulators are crucial in maintaining nitrogen homeostasis, govern expression of otherwise unnecessary or hedging genes, and exert tight control on metabolic bottleneck steps. Furthermore, we characterize changes in expression and activity profiles of other coregulators associated with these dysregulated metabolic pathways, determining the regulatory interactions within the transcriptional regulatory network. Such systematic findings emphasize their importance in optimizing the proteome allocation toward metabolic enzymes as well as ribosomes, facilitating condition-specific phenotypic outcomes. Consequentially, we reveal that disruption of this inherent trade-off between ribosome and metabolic proteome economy due to the loss of regulators resulted in lowered growth rates. Moreover, our findings reinforce that the accumulations of intracellular metabolites in the event of proteome repartitions negatively affects the glucose uptake. Overall, by extending the three-partition proteome allocation theory concordant with multi-omics measurements, we elucidate the physiological consequences of loss of global regulators on central carbon metabolism restraining the organism to attain maximal biomass synthesis. IMPORTANCE Cellular proteome allocation in response to environmental or internal perturbations governs their eventual phenotypic outcome. This entails striking an effective balance between amino acid biosynthesis by metabolic proteins and its consumption by ribosomes. However, the global transcriptional regulator-driven molecular mechanisms that underpin their coordination remains unexplored. Here, we emphasize that global transcriptional regulators, known to control expression of a myriad of genes, are fundamental for precisely tuning the translational and metabolic efficiencies that define the growth optimality. Towards this, we systematically characterized the single deletion effect of FNR, ArcA, and IHF regulators of Escherichia coli on exponential growth under anaerobic glucose fermentative conditions. Their absence disrupts the stringency of proteome allocation, which manifests as impairment in key metabolic processes and an accumulation of intracellular metabolites. Furthermore, by incorporating an extension to the empirical growth laws, we quantitatively demonstrate the general design principles underlying the existence of these regulators in E. coli.

scholarly journals Direct Visualization of Chemical Cues and Cellular Phenotypes throughout Bacillus subtilis Biofilms

mSystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Yannarell ◽  
Dusan Veličković ◽  
Christopher R. Anderton ◽  
Elizabeth A. Shank
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Bacterial Biofilms ◽  
Direct Visualization ◽  
Metabolic Processes ◽  
Heterogeneous Structures ◽  
Cellular Phenotypes

Bacterial biofilms are complex and heterogeneous structures. Cells within biofilms carry out numerous metabolic processes in a nuanced and organized manner, details of which are still being discovered.

scholarly journals Bacillus subtilis Pellicle Formation Proceeds through Genetically Defined Morphological Changes

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (13) ◽  
pp. 4920-4931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Transcriptional Analysis ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Morphological Development ◽  
Pellicle Formation ◽  
Cell Clusters

ABSTRACT Biofilms are structured multicellular communities of bacteria that form through a developmental process. In standing culture, undomesticated strains of Bacillus subtilis produce a floating biofilm, called a pellicle, with a distinct macroscopic architecture. Here we report on a comprehensive analysis of B. subtilis pellicle formation, with a focus on transcriptional regulators and morphological changes. To date, 288 known or putative transcriptional regulators encoded by the B. subtilis genome have been identified or assigned based on similarity to other known proteins. The genes encoding these regulators were systematically disrupted, and the effects of the mutations on pellicle formation were examined, resulting in the identification of 19 regulators involved in pellicle formation. In addition, morphological analysis revealed that pellicle formation begins with the formation of cell chains, which is followed by clustering and degradation of cell chains. Genetic and morphological evidence showed that each stage of morphological change can be defined genetically, based on mutants of transcriptional regulators, each of which blocks pellicle formation at a specific morphological stage. Formation and degradation of cell chains are controlled by down- and up-regulation of σD- and σH-dependent autolysins expressed at specific stages during pellicle formation. Transcriptional analysis revealed that the transcriptional activation of sigH depends on the formation of cell clusters, which in turn activates transcription of σH-dependent autolysin in cell clusters. Taken together, our results reveal relationships between transcriptional regulators and morphological development during pellicle formation by B. subtilis.

scholarly journals Bacillus subtilis Regulators MntR and Zur Participate in Redox Cycling, Antibiotic Sensitivity, and Cell Wall Plasticity

2019 ◽  
Vol 202 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Randazzo ◽  
Jamila Anba-Mondoloni ◽  
Anne Aubert-Frambourg ◽  
Alain Guillot ◽  
Christine Pechoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Antibiotic Sensitivity ◽  
Transcriptional Regulators ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Beta Lactam Antibiotics

ABSTRACT The Bacillus subtilis MntR and Zur transcriptional regulators control homeostasis of manganese and zinc, two essential elements required in various cellular processes. In this work, we describe the global impact of mntR and zur deletions at the protein level. Using a comprehensive proteomic approach, we showed that 33 and 55 proteins are differentially abundant in ΔmntR and Δzur cells, respectively, including proteins involved in metal acquisition, translation, central metabolism, and cell wall homeostasis. In addition, both mutants showed modifications in intracellular metal ion pools, with significant Mg2+ accumulation in the ΔmntR mutant. Phenotypic and morphological analyses of ΔmntR and Δzur mutants revealed their high sensitivity to lysozyme, beta-lactam antibiotics, and external oxidative stress. Mutant strains had a modified cell wall thickness and accumulated lower levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) than the wild-type strain. Remarkably, our results highlight an intimate connection between MntR, Zur, antibiotic sensitivity, and cell wall structure. IMPORTANCE Manganese and zinc are essential transition metals involved in many fundamental cellular processes, including protection against external oxidative stress. In Bacillus subtilis, Zur and MntR are key transcriptional regulators of zinc and manganese homeostasis, respectively. In this work, proteome analysis of B. subtilis wild-type, ΔmntR, and Δzur strains provided new insights into bacterial adaptation to deregulation of essential metal ions. Deletions of mntR and zur genes increased bacterial sensitivity to lysozyme, beta-lactam antibiotics, and external oxidative stress and impacted the cell wall thickness. Overall, these findings highlight that Zur and MntR regulatory networks are connected to antibiotic sensitivity and cell wall plasticity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document