title: Sigma factor WhiG and its regulation constitute a target of a mutational phenomenon occurring during aerial mycelium growth in Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC23877.
abstract: The genetic instability of Streptomyces ambofaciens affects the pigmentation of colonies and generates a variety of mutants the majority of which display large genome rearrangements. Among them, the Pig-pap mutants, which probably result from a mutational event occurring during aerial mycelium growth, display specific features, since they are unable to sporulate and do not harbor any large detectable genome rearrangements. To identify the mutational event causing their phenotype, three Pig-pap mutants originating from three independent mutational events were characterized. These mutants exhibited a whiG-like phenotype which was suppressed by the introduction of one copy of Streptomyces coelicolor whiG. Their own whiG gene was devoid of mutations and appeared to be transcribed at a level similar to that of the WT. However, whiH, the expression of which depends on sigma(WhiG), was not transcribed in any of the three Pig-pap mutants, suggesting that the sigma(WhiG) was absent or inactive. This suggests that in these Pig-pap mutants, the regulation of sigma(WhiG) might be affected. Finally, the introduction of S. coelicolor whiG in one of these Pig-pap mutants restored not only pigmentation and sporulation, but also the ability to once again form white papillae. Analyses of transgene whiG in these papillae revealed that it constitutes a mutational target during aerial mycelium formation when integrated into the genome of this Pig-pap mutant.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique et Microbiologie (UMR INRA/UHP 1128), IFR 110, Faculté des Sciences de l'Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy 1, BP239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catakli
authors.forename: Axelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andrieux
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Decaris
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dary
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D025282:Mycelium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012808:Sigma Factor; C061314:whiG protein, Streptomyces coelicolor