title: Overexpression of the PepF oligopeptidase inhibits sporulation initiation in Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: The yjbG gene encoding the homologue of the PepF1 and PepF2 oligoendopeptidases of Lactococcus lactis (Monnet et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269:32070-32076, 1994; Nardi et al., J. Bacteriol. 179:4164-4171, 1997) has been identified in Bacillus subtilis as an inhibitor of sporulation initiation when present in the cells on a multicopy plasmid. Genetic analysis suggested that the inhibitory effect is due to hydrolysis of the PhrA peptide in a form as small as the pentapeptide (ARNQT). Inactivation of PhrA results in deregulation of the RapA phosphatase and thus dephosphorylation of the Spo0F approximately P response regulator component of the phosphorelay for sporulation initiation. When overexpressed, the B. subtilis PepF is most likely hydrolyzing additional peptides of the Phr family, as is the case for PhrC involved in control of competence development. Chromosomal inactivation of the yjbG/pepF gene did not give rise to any detectable phenotype. The function of PepF in B. subtilis remains unknown. Limited experiments with a yjbG paralogue called yusX indicated that a frameshift is present, making the corresponding gene product inactive.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perego
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C061262:ComA protein, Bacteria; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; C101115:PhrC protein, Bacillus subtilis; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C085800:modF protein, E coli; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C091036:Oligoendopeptidase F