title: Functional analysis of the Bacillus subtilis cysK and cysJI genes.
abstract: The function of the Bacillus subtilis cysK and cysJI (previously designated yvgQR) genes, expected to be involved in the assimilatory sulfate reduction pathway, was investigated. A B. subtilis mutant with a deletion in the cysJI genes was unable to use sulfate or sulfite as sulfur source, which confirmed that these genes encode sulfite reductase. A mutant with a transposon insertion in the cysK gene, whose deduced protein sequence showed similarity to cysteine synthases, grew poorly on sulfate and butanesulfonate. A strain in which cysK and yrhA, a cysK paralog, were inactivated was unable to grow with sulfate. Whereas expression of the cysJI genes was induced by sulfate, expression of cysK was repressed both by sulfate and by cysteine.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zentrum, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland. jvdploeg@zzmk.unizh.ch
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: van der Ploeg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leisinger
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003545:Cysteine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003547:Cysteine Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D050862:Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D013447:Sulfites / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013431:Sulfates; D013447:Sulfites; D050862:Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors; D003547:Cysteine Synthase; D003545:Cysteine