title: A polysaccharide deacetylase gene (pdaA) is required for germination and for production of muramic delta-lactam residues in the spore cortex of Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: The predicted amino acid sequence of Bacillus subtilis yfjS (renamed pdaA) exhibits high similarity to those of several polysaccharide deacetylases. Beta-galactosidase fusion experiments and results of Northern hybridization with sporulation sigma mutants indicated that the pdaA gene is transcribed by E(sigma)(G) RNA polymerase. pdaA-deficient spores were bright by phase-contrast microscopy, and the spores were induced to germination on the addition of L-alanine. Germination-associated spore darkening, a slow and partial decrease in absorbance, and slightly lower dipicolinic acid release compared with that by the wild-type strain were observed. In particular, the release of hexosamine-containing materials was lacking in the pdaA mutant. Muropeptide analysis indicated that the pdaA-deficient spores completely lacked muramic delta-lactam. A pdaA-gfp fusion protein constructed in strain 168 and pdaA-deficient strains indicated that the protein is localized in B. subtilis spores. The biosynthetic pathway of muramic delta-lactam is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda-shi, Nagano 386, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Abdelmadjid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atrih
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007769:Lactams / Q000378:metabolism*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009112:Muramic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides; D010957:Plasmids; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007769:Lactams; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D009112:Muramic Acids; D010455:Peptides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C054664:muramic lactam; D000581:Amidohydrolases; C022427:polysaccharide deacetylase