title: Formaldehyde kills spores of Bacillus subtilis by DNA damage and small, acid-soluble spore proteins of the alpha/beta-type protect spores against this DNA damage.
abstract: Killing of wild-type spores of Bacillus subtilis with formaldehyde also caused significant mutagenesis; spores (termed alpha-beta-) lacking the two major alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) were more sensitive to both formaldehyde killing and mutagenesis. A recA mutation sensitized both wild-type and alpha-beta- spores to formaldehyde treatment, which caused significant expression of a recA-lacZ fusion when the treated spores germinated. Formaldehyde also caused protein-DNA cross-linking in both wild-type and alpha-beta- spores. These results indicate that: (i) formaldehyde kills B. subtilis spores at least in part by DNA damage and (b) alpha/beta-type SASP protect against spore killing by formaldehyde, presumably by protecting spore DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06032, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Loshon
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Genest
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Setlow
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Setlow
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007763:Lac Operon; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012808:Sigma Factor; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004202:Disinfectants; D012808:Sigma Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092468:spoIIR protein, Bacillus subtilis; C030069:spore-specific proteins, Bacillus; D005557:Formaldehyde; D011938:Rec A Recombinases