Cytochrome c550 is related to initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.
The effect of cytochrome c550 encoded by cccA in Bacillus subtilis during the event of sporulation was investigated. The sporulation of cccA-overexpressing mutant was significantly accelerated, while disruptant strain showed delayed sporulation in spite of the same growth rate. Activity of sporulation stage-0-specific enzyme, extracellular alpha-amylase of mutant strains was similar to that of the control strain, but cccA-overexpressing mutant exhibited higher activity of stage-II-specific alkaline phosphatase and stage-III-specific glucose dehydrogenase when compared to deletion mutant and control strain. Northern blot analysis also revealed that cccA-overexpressing mutant showed high level of spo0A transcripts, while the disruptant rarely expressed spo0A. These results suggested that although cytochrome c550 is dispensable for growth and sporulation, expression of cccA may play an important role for initiation of sporulation through regulation of spo0A expression.
Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
Inji
I
Shin
Han-Bong
HB
Ryu
Hyung-Soon
HS
Yim
Sa-Ouk
SO
Kang
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; C080950:Spo0A protein, Bacillus subtilis; D014157:Transcription Factors; C031732:cytochrome C-550