The Bacillus secretion stress response is an indicator for alpha-amylase production levels.
OBJECTIVE
Overproduced alpha-amylases in Bacillus subtilis provoke a specific stress response involving the CssRS two-component system, which controls expression of the HtrA and HtrB proteases. Previously, the B. subtilis TepA protein was implicated in high-level alpha-amylase secretion. Our present studies were aimed at investigating a possible role of TepA in secretion stress management, and characterizing the intensity of the secretion stress response in relation to alpha-amylase production.


RESULTS
The expression of a transcriptional htrB-lacZ gene fusion, and the levels of alpha-amylase production were monitored simultaneously using tepA mutant B. subtilis strains. TepA was shown to be dispensable for secretion stress management. Importantly, however, the levels of htrB-lacZ expression can be correlated with the levels of alpha-amylase production.


CONCLUSIONS
Our observations show that the secretion stress response can serve as an indicator for alpha-amylase production levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Conceivably, this stress response can be employed to monitor the biotechnological production of various secretory proteins by the Bacillus cell factory.
Westers
H
H
Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Darmon
E
E
Zanen
G
G
Veening
J-W
JW
Kuipers
O P
OP
Bron
S
S
Quax
W J
WJ
van Dijl
J M
JM
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D007763:Lac Operon; D009154:Mutation; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000217:Acyltransferases; C118473:LpxL protein, bacteria; D000516:alpha-Amylases; C061682:DegP protease; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases