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Volume 150, Issue 1

Functional relationship between SpoVIF and GerE in gene regulation during sporulation of Free

Abstract

The sporulation-specific SpoVIF (YjcC) protein of is essential for the development of heat-resistant spores. The GerE protein, the smallest member of the LuxR-FixJ family, contains a helix–turn–helix (HTH) motif and is involved in the expression of various sporulation-specific genes. In this study, the gene expression and protein composition of sporulating -negative cells were analysed. CgeA, CotG and CotS, which are GerE-dependent coat proteins, were not expressed in the -negative cells. Northern blotting showed that SpoVIF regulated the transcription of , and in a manner similar to that of GerE. In -negative cells, mRNA was transcribed normally, but immunoblot analysis using anti-GerE antiserum showed that the quantity of GerE protein was considerably less than that in wild-type controls. Using GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion proteins, the localization of SpoVIF and GerE was observed by fluorescence microscopy. SpoVIF-GFP was detectable in the mother cell compartment, as was GerE-GFP. These results suggest that SpoVIF directly or indirectly controls the function of the GerE protein, and that SpoVIF is required for gene regulation during the latter stages of sporulation.

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Keyword(s): GFP, green fluorescent protein
SGM
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/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.26689-0
2004-01-01
2025-05-12
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Functional relationship between SpoVIF and GerE in gene regulation during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis
Microbiology 150, 163 (2004); https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.26689-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.26689-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.26689-0
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