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SpoIVB has two distinct functions during spore formation in Bacillus subtilis
Author(s) -
Oke Valerie,
Shchepetov Mikhail,
Cutting Simon
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1997.2091573.x
Subject(s) - bacillus subtilis , biology , mutagenesis , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology , function (biology) , spore , sigma factor , mutation , biochemistry , genetics , gene , bacteria , promoter , gene expression
The Bacillus subtilis SpoIVB protein is a critical component of the intercompartmental signal‐transduction pathway that activates the sigma factor, σ K , in the mother cell of the sporulating cell. SpoIVB, synthesized in the forespore chamber, must act across two layers of phospholipid membrane to facilitate proteolytic processing of inactive pro‐σ K to active σ K . We have used a genetic approach to dissect SpoIVB function and found that this protein has two distinct developmental functions. One function is that of intercompartmental signalling of pro‐σ K processing. The other role is essential to spore formation and is illustrated by mutations of SpoIVB which allow cell–cell signalling of pro‐σ K processing but prevent the formation of viable spores. Using localized and site‐specific mutagenesis we have identified a functional domain of SpoIVB that is involved in its non‐signalling role.