title: Regulation of fatty acid desaturation in Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: The Des pathway of Bacillus subtilis regulates the expression of the acyl-lipid desaturase, Des, thereby controlling the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids from saturated phospholipid precursors. Activation of this pathway takes place when cells are shifted to low growth temperature or when they are grown in minimal media in the absence of isoleucine supplies. The master switch for the Des pathway is a two-component regulatory system composed of a membrane-associated kinase, DesK, and a soluble transcriptional regulator, DesR, which stringently controls transcription of the des gene. We propose that both, a decrease in membrane fluidity at constant temperature and a temperature downshift induce des by the same mechanism, involving the ability of DesK to sense a decrease in membrane fluidity.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mansilla
authors.forename: Pablo S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albanesi
authors.forename: Larisa E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cybulski
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altabe
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Mendoza
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids; D008954:Models, Biological; D013696:Temperature; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases