The global transcriptional response of Bacillus subtilis to peroxide stress is coordinated by three transcription factors.
Bacillus subtilis exhibits a complex adaptive response to low levels of peroxides. We used global transcriptional profiling to monitor the magnitude and kinetics of changes in the mRNA population after exposure to either hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or tert-butyl peroxide (t-buOOH). The peroxide stimulons could be largely accounted for by three regulons controlled by the PerR, sigma(B), and OhrR transcription factors. Three members of the PerR regulon (katA, mrgA, and zosA) were strongly induced by H(2)O(2) and weakly induced by t-buOOH. The remaining members of the PerR regulon were only modestly up-regulated by peroxide treatment. Overall, the magnitude of peroxide induction of PerR regulon genes corresponded well with the extent of derepression in a perR mutant strain. The sigma(B) regulon was activated by 58 micro M H(2)O(2) but not by 8 micro M H(2)O(2) and was strongly activated by either t-buOOH or, in a control experiment, tert-butyl alcohol. Apart from the sigma(B) regulon there was a single gene, ohrA, that was strongly and rapidly induced by t-buOOH exposure. This gene, controlled by the peroxide-sensing repressor OhrR, was not induced by any of the other conditions tested.
Helmann
John D
JD
Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA. jdh9@cornell.edu
Wu
Ming Fang Winston
MF
Gaballa
Ahmed
A
Kobel
Phil A
PA
Morshedi
Maud M
MM
Fawcett
Paul
P
Paddon
Chris
C
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D020543:Proteome; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide / Q000494:pharmacology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016877:Oxidants; D020543:Proteome; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C079011:SigB protein, Bacteria; D012808:Sigma Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; C122138:peroxide repressor proteins; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide