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Targeting proteins to the cell wall of sporulating Bacillus anthracis
Author(s) -
Marraffini Luciano A.,
Schneewind Olaf
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05469.x
Subject(s) - bacillus anthracis , biology , bacilli , spore , microbiology and biotechnology , mutant , budding , cell division , sortase , pathogen , biofilm , spore germination , wild type , cell wall , bacteria , cell , staphylococcus aureus , genetics , gene
Summary Dormant spores of Bacillus anthracis germinate during host infection and their vegetative growth and dissemination precipitate anthrax disease. Upon host death, bacilli engage a developmental programme to generate infectious spores within carcasses. Hallmark of sporulation in Bacillus spp. is the formation of an asymmetric division septum between mother cell and forespore compartments. We show here that sortase C (SrtC) cleaves the LPNTA sorting signal of BasH and BasI, thereby targeting both polypeptides to the cell wall of sporulating bacilli. Sortase substrates are initially produced in different cell compartments and at different developmental stages but penultimately decorate the envelope of the maturing spore. srtC mutants appear to display no defect during the initial stages of infection and precipitate lethal anthrax disease in guinea pigs at a similar rate as wild‐type B. anthracis strain Ames. Unlike wild‐type bacilli, srtC mutants do not readily form spores in guinea pig tissue or sheep blood unless their vegetative forms are exposed to air.