title: Effects of heterologous expression of CspB, the major cold shock protein of Bacillus subtillis, on protein synthesis in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The major cold shock protein of Bacillus subtilis, CspB, has been shown to affect the level of several cold-induced proteins in B. subtilis after cold shock. Here we show that the expression of CspB in Escherichia coli at 37 degrees C - conditions where the cold shock proteins CspA and CspB of E. coli are not present - resulted in a marked decrease in cellular growth rate and had a profound influence on the pattern of protein synthesis, as revealed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. This involves both decreases and increases in the rates of synthesis of specific proteins. Specifically, CspB induction resulted in enhanced beta-galactosidase activity expressed from a transcriptional hns-lacZ fusion. This increase reflects the induction of hns transcription and H-NS synthesis after cold shock, which has been demonstrated to be dependent on CspA in vitro. In contrast, expression of a mutant form of CspB (CspBF15A) that is unable to bind to ssDNA in vitro had no effect on growth rate, pattern of protein synthesis or beta-galactosidase activity. Our data demonstrate a strong influence of CspB on protein synthesis in E. coli and suggest a similar function for CspA in E. coli to that of CspB in B. subtilis.
authors.affiliation: Biochemie, Fachbereich Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Graumann
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marahiel
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D015870:Gene Expression; D007763:Lac Operon; D009876:Operon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C031908:H-NS protein, bacteria; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C077188:cold-shock protein CspB, Bacteria