This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Inamine, G. S. Articles by Dubnau, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Inamine, G. S. Articles by Dubnau, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., Jun 1995, 3045-3051, Vol 177, No. 11
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

ComEA, a Bacillus subtilis integral membrane protein required for genetic transformation, is needed for both DNA binding and transport

GS Inamine and D Dubnau
Public Health Research Institute, New York, New York 10016, USA.

The competence-related phenotypes of mutations in each of the four open reading frames associated with the comE locus of Bacillus subtilis are described. comEA and comEC are required for transformability, whereas the products of comEB and of the overlapping comER, which is transcribed in the reverse direction, are dispensable. Loss of the comEA product decreases the binding of DNA to the competent cell surface and the internalization of DNA, in addition to exhibiting a profound effect on transformability. The comEC product is required for internalization but is dispensable for DNA binding. ComEA is shown to be an integral membrane protein, as predicted from hydropathy analysis, with its C-terminal domain outside the cytoplasmic membrane. This C- terminal domain possesses a sequence with similarity to those of several proteins known to be involved in nucleic acid transactions including UvrC and a human protein that binds to the replication origin of the Epstein-Barr virus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Jeon, B., Zhang, Q. (2007). Cj0011c, a Periplasmic Single- and Double-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein, Contributes to Natural Transformation in Campylobacter jejuni. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7399-7407 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Qin, Z., Ou, Y., Yang, L., Zhu, Y., Tolker-Nielsen, T., Molin, S., Qu, D. (2007). Role of autolysin-mediated DNA release in biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Microbiology 153: 2083-2092 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chen, I., Provvedi, R., Dubnau, D. (2006). A Macromolecular Complex Formed by a Pilin-like Protein in Competent Bacillus subtilis. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 21720-21727 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Palchevskiy, V., Finkel, S. E. (2006). Escherichia coli Competence Gene Homologs Are Essential for Competitive Fitness and the Use of DNA as a Nutrient. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3902-3910 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chen, I., Christie, P. J., Dubnau, D. (2005). The Ins and Outs of DNA Transfer in Bacteria. Science 310: 1456-1460 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yeh, Y.-C., Lin, T.-L., Chang, K.-C., Wang, J.-T. (2003). Characterization of a ComE3 Homologue Essential for DNA Transformation in Helicobacter pylori. Infect. Immun. 71: 5427-5431 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Liu, Y., Zhou, J., Omelchenko, M. V., Beliaev, A. S., Venkateswaran, A., Stair, J., Wu, L., Thompson, D. K., Xu, D., Rogozin, I. B., Gaidamakova, E. K., Zhai, M., Makarova, K. S., Koonin, E. V., Daly, M. J. (2003). Transcriptome dynamics of Deinococcus radiodurans recovering from ionizing radiation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 4191-4196 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ogura, M., Yamaguchi, H., Kobayashi, K., Ogasawara, N., Fujita, Y., Tanaka, T. (2002). Whole-Genome Analysis of Genes Regulated by the Bacillus subtilis Competence Transcription Factor ComK. J. Bacteriol. 184: 2344-2351 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belitsky, B. R., Brill, J., Bremer, E., Sonenshein, A. L. (2001). Multiple Genes for the Last Step of Proline Biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 183: 4389-4392 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Friedrich, A., Hartsch, T., Averhoff, B. (2001). Natural Transformation in Mesophilic and Thermophilic Bacteria: Identification and Characterization of Novel, Closely Related Competence Genes in Acinetobacter sp. Strain BD413 and Thermus thermophilus HB27. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 3140-3148 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chen, I., Gotschlich, E. C. (2001). ComE, a Competence Protein from Neisseria gonorrhoeae with DNA-Binding Activity. J. Bacteriol. 183: 3160-3168 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Graupner, S., Wackernagel, W. (2001). Pseudomonas stutzeri Has Two Closely Related pilA Genes (Type IV Pilus Structural Protein) with Opposite Influences on Natural Genetic Transformation. J. Bacteriol. 183: 2359-2366 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ogura, M., Tanaka, T. (2000). Bacillus subtilis comZ (yjzA) Negatively Affects Expression of comG but Not comK. J. Bacteriol. 182: 4992-4994 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fawcett, P., Eichenberger, P., Losick, R., Youngman, P. (2000). The transcriptional profile of early to middle sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 10.1073/pnas.140209597v1 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gomez, M., Johnson, S., Gennaro, M. L. (2000). Identification of Secreted Proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by a Bioinformatic Approach. Infect. Immun. 68: 2323-2327 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Piazza, F., Tortosa, P., Dubnau, D. (1999). Mutational Analysis and Membrane Topology of ComP, a Quorum-Sensing Histidine Kinase of Bacillus subtilis Controlling Competence Development. J. Bacteriol. 181: 4540-4548 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pestova, E. V., Morrison, D. A. (1998). Isolation and Characterization of Three Streptococcus pneumoniae Transformation-Specific Loci by Use of a lacZ Reporter Insertion Vector. J. Bacteriol. 180: 2701-2710 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dubnau, Y. S. C. a. D. (1998). All Seven comG Open Reading Frames Are Required for DNA Binding during Transformation of Competent Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 180: 41-45 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fawcett, P., Eichenberger, P., Losick, R., Youngman, P. (2000). The transcriptional profile of early to middle sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 8063-8068 [Abstract] [Full Text]