The bdbDC operon of Bacillus subtilis encodes thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases required for competence development.
The development of genetic competence in the Gram-positive eubacterium Bacillus subtilis is a complex postexponential process. Here we describe a new bicistronic operon, bdbDC, required for competence development, which was identified by the B. subtilis Systematic Gene Function Analysis program. Inactivation of either the bdbC or bdbD genes of this operon results in the loss of transformability without affecting recombination or the synthesis of ComK, the competence transcription factor. BdbC and BdbD are orthologs of enzymes known to be involved in extracytoplasmic disulfide bond formation. Consistent with this, BdbC and BdbD are needed for the secretion of the Escherichia coli disulfide bond-containing alkaline phosphatase, PhoA, by B. subtilis. Similarly, the amount of the disulfide bond-containing competence protein ComGC is severely reduced in bdbC or bdbD mutants. In contrast, the amounts of the competence proteins ComGA and ComEA remain unaffected by bdbDC mutations. Taken together, these observations imply that in the absence of either BdbC or BdbD, ComGC is unstable and that BdbC and BdbD catalyze the formation of disulfide bonds that are essential for the DNA binding and uptake machinery.
Meima
Rob
R
Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands.
Eschevins
Caroline
C
Fillinger
Sabine
S
Bolhuis
Albert
A
Hamoen
Leendert W
LW
Dorenbos
Ronald
R
Quax
Wim J
WJ
van Dijl
Jan Maarten
JM
Provvedi
Roberta
R
Chen
Ines
I
Dubnau
David
D
Bron
Sierd
S
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D004220:Disulfides; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011490:Protein Disulfide Reductase (Glutathione) / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D004220:Disulfides; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016685:Mitomycin; D004247:DNA; D011490:Protein Disulfide Reductase (Glutathione); D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C114089:phoA protein, E coli