title: A novel small protein of Bacillus subtilis involved in spore germination and spore coat assembly.
abstract: Two small genes named sscA (previously yhzE) and orf-62, located in the prsA-yhaK intergenic region of the Bacillus subtilis genome, were transcribed by SigK and GerE in the mother cells during the later stages of sporulation. The SscA-FLAG fusion protein was produced from T(5) of sporulation and incorporated into mature spores. sscA mutant spores exhibited poor germination, and Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the coat protein profile of the mutant differed from that of the wild type. Bands corresponding to proteins at 59, 36, 5, and 3 kDa were reduced in the sscA null mutant. Western blot analysis of anti-CotB and anti-CotG antibodies showed reductions of the proteins at 59 kDa and 36 kDa in the sscA mutant spores. These proteins correspond to CotB and CotG. By immunoblot analysis of an anti-CotH antibody, we also observed that CotH was markedly reduced in the sscA mutant spores. It appears that SscA is a novel spore protein involved in the assembly of several components of the spore coat, including CotB, CotG, and CotH, and is associated with spore germination.
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Ichikai, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsubayashi
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komoto
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Ritsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuwana
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C439051:CotB protein, Bacillus subtilis; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C091352:cotG protein, Bacillus subtilis