DisA, a busy bee that monitors chromosome integrity.
When nutrients are limited many prokaryotic and some eukaryotic cells tuck their chromosomes safely away in resistant spores. However, before starting the sporulation process, the prokaryote Bacillus subtilis wisely ensures that its chromosome is intact. In this issue of Cell, Bejerano-Sagie et al. (2006) describe a protein, DisA, that is responsible for the surveillance of chromosome integrity during sporulation.
Boye
Erik
E
Department of Cell Biology, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet MedicalCentre, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway. erik.boye@labmed.uio.no
D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial