Repeated triggering of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis selects against a protein that affects the timing of cell division.
Bacillus subtilis sporulation is a last-resort phenotypical adaptation in response to starvation. The regulatory network underlying this developmental pathway has been studied extensively. However, how sporulation initiation is concerted in relation to the environmental nutrient availability is poorly understood. In a fed-batch fermentation set-up, in which sporulation of ultraviolet (UV)-mutagenized B. subtilis is repeatedly triggered by periods of starvation, fitter strains with mutated tagE evolved. These mutants display altered timing of phenotypical differentiation. The substrate for the wall teichoic acid (WTA)-modifying enzyme TagE, UDP-glucose, has recently been shown to be an intracellular proxy for nutrient availability, and influences the timing of cell division. Here we suggest that UDP-glucose also influences timing of cellular differentiation.
Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Jeroen
J
Siebring
Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Matthijs J H
MJ
Elema
1] Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Leiden University College the Hague, Leiden University, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Fátima
F
Drubi Vega
Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Akos T
0000000244651636
AT
Kovács
1] Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands [2] Leiden University College the Hague, Leiden University, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Patsy
P
Haccou
1] Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands [2] Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands.
Oscar P
OP
Kuipers
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005947:Glucose