title: A new mutation in spo0A with intragenic suppressors in the effector domain.
abstract: Spo0A is a two domain response regulator, a key protein in the initiation of sporulation of Bacillus subtilis. This protein controls a number of changes in gene expression that occur during the transition from stationary phase to the onset of sporulation. The phosphorylated form of Spo0A influences the transcription of a specific set of genes. In addition to others, it represses abrB and activates spoIIA and spoIIE transcription. Although the N-terminal phosphoacceptor domain is well characterised, there is limited information on the C-terminal, DNA-binding domain. Comparisons of Spo0A homologues from a number of Bacillus and Clostridium species show that the C-terminal domain contains three highly conserved regions. In this study, we have investigated the influence of spo0A mutations mapping within the C-terminal domain on transcription from the abrB, spoIIA and spoIIE promoters using lacZ fusions. Our results indicate that described mutations can be part of signalling between N- and C-terminal domains of the protein. Also, the increased expression observed from the spoIIE promoter in some Spo0A mutants might result from a stabilising function of these mutations on the transcriptional apparatus utilising sigma(A).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 842 51, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmeisser
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brannigan
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Youngman
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barák
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012808:Sigma Factor; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C060762:AbrB protein, Bacillus subtilis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C080950:Spo0A protein, Bacillus subtilis; C095877:SpoIIB protein, Bacillus subtilis; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092468:spoIIR protein, Bacillus subtilis; C030069:spore-specific proteins, Bacillus