A new family of aspartyl phosphate phosphatases targeting the sporulation transcription factor Spo0A of Bacillus subtilis.
The initiation of the sporulation developmental pathway in Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the phospho-relay, a multicomponent signal transduction system. Multiple positive and negative signals are integrated by the phosphorelay through the opposing activities of histidine protein kinases and aspartyl phosphate phosphatases. Three members of the Rap family of phosphatases (RapA, RapB and RapE) specifically dephosphorylate the Spo0F approximately P response regulator intermediate, while the Spo0A approximately P transcription factor is specifically dephosphorylated by the Spo0E phosphatase and, as shown here, the newly identified YnzD and YisI proteins. The products of the YnzD and YisI genes are highly homologous to Spo0E and define a new family of phosphatases with a distinct signature motif in their amino acid sequence. As negative regulators of the developmental pathway, YnzD and YisI inhibit spore formation if over-expressed, while a chromosomal deletion of their coding sequences results in increased sporulation frequency. Transcription of the ynzD, yisI and spo0E genes is differentially regulated and generally induced by growth conditions antithetical to sporulation. Negative signals interpreted by aspartyl phosphate phosphatases appear to be a common mechanism in Gram-positive spore-forming microorganisms.
Perego
M
M
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. mperego@scripps.edu
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080950:Spo0A protein, Bacillus subtilis; D014157:Transcription Factors; C032197:beta-aspartyl phosphate; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C445331:aspartyl phosphate phosphatase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases