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Novel mechanisms of controlling the activities of the transcription factors S po0 A and ComA by the plasmid‐encoded quorum sensing regulators R ap60‐ P hr60 in B acillus subtilis
Author(s) -
Boguslawski Kristina M.,
Hill Patrick A.,
Griffith Kevin L.
Publication year - 2015
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/mmi.12939
Subject(s) - biology , quorum sensing , plasmid , population , gene , transcription factor , genetics , transcription (linguistics) , autophosphorylation , microbiology and biotechnology , phosphorylation , protein kinase a , linguistics , philosophy , demography , sociology , virulence
Summary B acillus subtilis and its closest relatives have multiple rap‐phr quorum sensing gene pairs that coordinate a variety of physiological processes with population density. Extra‐chromosomal rap‐phr genes are also present on mobile genetic elements, yet relatively little is known about their function. In this work, we demonstrate that R ap60‐ P hr60 from plasmid pTA 1060 coordinates a variety of biological processes with population density including sporulation, cannibalism, biofilm formation and genetic competence. Similar to other R ap proteins that control sporulation, Rap 60 modulates phosphorylation of the transcription factor S po0 A by acting as a phosphatase of S po0 F ∼ P , an intermediate of the sporulation phosphorelay system. Additionally, Rap60 plays a noncanonical role in regulating the autophosphorylation of the sporulation‐specific kinase KinA , a novel activity for R ap proteins. In contrast, R ap proteins that modulate genetic competence interfere with DNA binding by the transcription factor ComA . R ap60 regulates the activity of ComA in a unique manner by forming a R ap60– ComA – DNA ternary complex that inhibits transcription of target genes. Taken together, this work provides new insight into two novel mechanisms of regulating S po0 A and ComA by R ap60 and expands our general understanding of how plasmid‐encoded quorum sensing pairs regulate important biological processes.