Premium
Identification of a protein, YneA, responsible for cell division suppression during the SOS response in Bacillus subtilis
Author(s) -
Kawai Yoshikazu,
Moriya Shigeki,
Ogasawara Naotake
Publication year - 2003
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.1365-2958.2003.03360.x
Subject(s) - ftsz , regulon , biology , bacillus subtilis , operon , mutant , cell division , sos response , repressor , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , lac operon , escherichia coli , genetics , cell , gene expression , bacteria
Summary A knock‐out mutant of the dinR gene that encodes the SOS regulon repressor in Bacillus subtilis was constructed. The y neA , yneB and ynzC genes transcribed divergently from the dinR gene were strongly induced in mutant cells. Northern hybridization analyses revealed that these genes collectively form an operon and belong to the SOS regulon. The simultaneous deletion of dinR and yneA suppressed the filamentous phenotype of the dinR mutant. Furthermore, although yneA is suppressed in the wild‐type cell in the absence of SOS induction, artificial expression of the YneA protein using an IPTG‐inducible promoter resulted in cell elongation. Disruption of yneA significantly reduced cell elongation after the induction of the SOS response by mitomycin C in dinR + cells. These results indicate that the YneA protein is responsible for cell division suppression during the SOS response in B. subtilis . Localization of the FtsZ protein to the cell division site was reduced in dinR ‐disrupted or yneA ‐expressing cells, further suggesting that the YneA protein suppresses cell division through the suppression of FtsZ ring formation. Interestingly, the B. subtilis YneA protein is structurally and phylogenetically unrelated to its functional counterpart in Escherichia coli , SulA.