title: Transcriptional analysis of three Bacillus subtilis genes coding for proteins with the alpha-crystallin domain characteristic of small heat shock proteins.
abstract: In silico analysis of the complete Bacillus subtilis genome revealed the presence of three genes whose deduced amino acid sequences exhibit an alpha-crystallin domain characteristic for the family of small heat shock proteins: cotM (which has already been identified [Henriques et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol 179, 1887-1897]), yocM, and cotP (formerly ydfT). Analysis of the expression of all three genes by slot-blot experiments and by transcriptional fusions revealed that none of them was heat-inducible. Transcription of cotP was induced late during sporulation by the sporulation-specific sigma factor sigma(K) and negatively controlled by the GerE repressor. No expression of the yocM gene was found under all standard laboratory conditions tested. Both a cotP knockout mutant as well as a cotM cotP double knockout turned out to be viable and form spores and exhibited no germination defect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, University of Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reischl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thake
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Homuth
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schumann
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003459:Crystallins / Q000737:chemistry*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C104877:CotM protein, Bacillus subtilis; D003459:Crystallins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins