title: Bacillus subtilis DegU acts as a positive regulator for comK expression.
abstract: Bacillus subtilis ComK plays a critical role in competence development. We report that B. subtilis degR, a positive regulator for exoenzyme production, is negatively regulated by overproduced ComK caused by a mecA null mutation. To identify a positive regulator for comK expression in the mecA background, mutations that allowed the degR gene to be expressed were screened in Tn10 transposon insertion mutants. As a result, we identified degU insertion mutations as those having such a property. The degU mutation reduced comK-lacZ expression in a competence medium in both the wild-type and mecA cells in sporulation and competence media. These results indicate that the degU gene product acts as a positive regulator for comK expression even under the condition where the negative regulation of comK by MecA is released.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shimizu, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003470:Culture Media; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; C066497:DegU protein, Bacteria; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C083616:mecA protein, Bacillus subtilis; C087449:comK protein, Bacillus subtilis; D001616:beta-Galactosidase