title: Glycogen in Bacillus subtilis: molecular characterization of an operon encoding enzymes involved in glycogen biosynthesis and degradation.
abstract: Although it has never been reported that Bacillus subtilis is capable of accumulating glycogen, we have isolated a region from the chromosome of B. subtilis containing a glycogen operon. The operon is located directly downstream from trnB, which maps at 275 degrees on the B. subtilis chromosome. It encodes five polypeptides with extensive similarity to enzymes involved in glycogen and starch metabolism in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The operon is presumably expressed by an E sigma E-controlled promoter, which was previously identified downstream from trnB. We have observed glycogen biosynthesis in B. subtilis exclusively on media containing carbon sources that allow efficient sporulation. Sporulation-independent synthesis of glycogen occurred after integration of an E sigma A controlled promoter upstream of the operon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, State University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kiel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boels
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beldman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venema
mesh_terms: D015061:1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D051599:Glucose-1-Phosphate Adenylyltransferase; D006003:Glycogen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006006:Glycogen Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D006005:Phosphorylases / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006003:Glycogen; D006005:Phosphorylases; D006006:Glycogen Synthase; D015061:1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D051599:Glucose-1-Phosphate Adenylyltransferase