title: Extremely variable conservation of γ-type small, acid-soluble proteins from spores of some species in the bacterial order Bacillales.
abstract: γ-Type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) are the most abundant proteins in spores of at least some members of the bacterial order Bacillales, yet they remain an enigma from both functional and phylogenetic perspectives. Current work has shown that the γ-type SASP or their coding genes (sspE genes) are present in most spore-forming members of Bacillales, including at least some members of the Paenibacillus genus, although they are apparently absent from Clostridiales species. We have applied a new method of searching for sspE genes, which now appear to also be absent from a clade of Bacillales species that includes Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius and Bacillus tusciae. In addition, no γ-type SASP were found in A. acidocaldarius spores, although several of the DNA-binding α/β-type SASP were present. These findings have elucidated the phylogenetic origin of the sspE gene, and this may help in determining the precise function of γ-type SASP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-3305, USA.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vyas
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Setlow
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Setlow
mesh_terms: D056449:Bacillales / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases