Deficiency of the initiation events of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis clpP mutant can be suppressed by a lack of the Spo0E protein phosphatase.
Previous results have shown that the Bacillus subtilis clpP gene is required for developmental processes such as sporulation and competence development. Little is known about its function during the initiation of sporulation. We studied the effect of clpP mutation on the early events of sporulation. The expression of the spo0A and spoIIG genes, whose active transcription requires the phosphorylated Spo0A protein (Spo0A approximately P) as the transcription activator, was significantly decreased in the clpP mutant at the onset of sporulation. The expression of spo0H gene encoding sigma(H) protein was also greatly reduced. As expected from these results, the sigma(H) and Spo0A protein levels in the clpP mutant were also decreased during the initiation of sporulation, indicating that the accumulation of Spo0A approximately P was inhibited in the clpP mutant. We, therefore, introduced the mutation of the spo0E gene, which codes for the Spo0A approximately P-specific phosphatase, into the clpP mutant and found that this double mutant restored the expression of the spo0A as well as spoIIG genes. These results suggest that ClpP had an indirect influence on the intracellular concentration of Spo0A approximately P by regulating the activity of the Spo0E phosphatase during the initiation of sporulation.
Nanamiya
H
H
Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, College of Science, Rikkyo (St. Paul's) University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan.
Takahashi
K
K
Fujita
M
M
Kawamura
F
F
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D012808:Sigma Factor; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D012808:Sigma Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092468:spoIIR protein, Bacillus subtilis; C030069:spore-specific proteins, Bacillus; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases