title: Function of the SpoVAEa and SpoVAF proteins of Bacillus subtilis spores.
abstract: The Bacillus subtilis spoVAEa and spoVAF genes are expressed in developing spores as members of the spoVA operon, which encodes proteins essential for the uptake and release of dipicolinic acid (DPA) during spore formation and germination. SpoVAF is likely an integral inner spore membrane protein and exhibits sequence identity to A subunits of the spore's nutrient germinant receptors (GRs), while SpoVAEa is a soluble protein with no obvious signals to allow its passage across a membrane. However, like SpoVAD, SpoVAEa is present on the outer surface of the spore's inner membrane, as SpoVAEa was accessible to an external biotinylation agent in spores and SpoVAEa disappeared in parallel with SpoVAD during proteinase K treatment of germinated spores. SpoVAEa and SpoVAD were also distributed similarly in fractions of disrupted dormant spores. Unlike spoVAD, spoVAEa is absent from the genomes of some spore-forming members of the Bacillales and Clostridiales orders, although SpoVAEa's amino acid sequence is conserved in species containing spoVAEa. B. subtilis strains lacking SpoVAF or SpoVAEa and SpoVAF sporulated normally, and the spores had normal DPA levels. Spores lacking SpoVAF or SpoVAEa and SpoVAF also germinated normally with non-GR-dependent germinants but more slowly than wild-type spores with GR-dependent germinants, and this germination defect was complemented by ectopic expression of the missing proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez-Valdespino
authors.forename: Yunfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Setlow
authors.forename: Sonali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Korza
authors.forename: Florence E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Feeherry
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Doona
authors.forename: Yong-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Setlow
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005838:Genotype; D009154:Mutation; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins