title: Biochemical analysis of the Bacillus subtilis 1604 spore germination response.
abstract: Germination at 37 degrees C of spores of Bacillus subtilis 1604 in the L-alanine and potassium phosphate (ALA) and the glucose, fructose, L-asparagine, potassium chloride (GFAK) germinant systems was triggered following heat activation at 70 degrees C for 1 h. In these conditions, 50% of the spore population became committed to germinate after exposure for 10 min and 14 min to ALA and GFAK, respectively, at which time 38% and 30% losses of OD600 had taken place. Dipicolinic acid (DPA) release, loss of heat resistance and release of soluble hexosamine-containing fragments occurred after commitment and were closely associated with loss of refractility in both the ALA and GFAK pathways. Net ATP synthesis could not be detected until 3-4 min after initiation of germination in both ALA and GFAK, by which time greater than 20% of the spore population was committed to germinate. The ALA and GFAK germination pathways were greater than 99% inhibited by 3 and 1 mM-HgCl2, respectively, as measured by OD600 loss. Reversible post-commitment HgCl2-sensitive sites were present in the ALA and GFAK pathways which were 50% inhibited by 0.125 mM and 0.05 mM-HgCl2, respectively. A pre-commitment HgCl2-sensitive site was identified in the ALA pathway which was 55% inhibited by 6 mM-HgCl2. At 3 mM-HgCl2, 70% of the spore population became committed to germinate in the ALA pathway, whereas less than 5% OD600 loss occurred. In this system, loss of heat resistance was associated with commitment, whereas OD600 loss and DPA release were identified as post-commitment events. The ALA and GFAK pathways were insensitive to a variety of metabolic inhibitors. Protease inhibitors had different effects on the ALA and GFAK pathways: phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) solely inhibited ALA germination at a pre-commitment site and had little effect on GFAK germination, whereas N alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) inhibited both the ALA and GFAK pathways at pre- and post-commitment sites. These results are discussed in relation to a recently proposed model for the triggering of Bacillus megaterium KM spore germination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnstone
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology; D001216:Asparagine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005632:Fructose / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D005632:Fructose; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D001216:Asparagine; D005947:Glucose; D000409:Alanine