title: The Bacillus subtilis competence transcription factor, ComK, overrides LexA-imposed transcriptional inhibition without physically displacing LexA.
abstract: During the development of competence in Bacillus subtilis the recA gene is activated by the competence transcription factor, ComK, which is presumably required to alleviate the transcriptional repression of recA by LexA. To investigate the mechanism by which ComK activates recA transcription we examined the binding of ComK and LexA to the recA promoter in vitro. Using hydroxyl radical protection analyses to establish the location of ComK dimer-binding sites within the recA promoter, we identified four AT-boxes in a configuration unique for ComK-regulated promoters. Gel mobility shift experiments showed that all four ComK dimer-binding sites were occupied at ComK concentrations in the physiological range. In addition, occupation of all ComK-binding sites did not prevent LexA from binding to the recA promoter, despite the fact that the ComK and LexA recognition motifs partially overlap. Although ComK did not replace LexA from the recA promoter, in vitro transcription analyses indicated that the presence of ComK is sufficient to alleviate LexA repression of recA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, NL-9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands. l.w.hamoen@biol.rug.nl
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Hamoen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haijema
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bijlsma
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venema
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lovett
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099160:LexA Repressor Protein; C087449:comK protein, Bacillus subtilis