Previous Article | Next Article 
J Bacteriol, April 1998, p. 2057-2062, Vol. 180, No. 8
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
The katX Gene, Which Codes for the
Catalase in Spores of Bacillus subtilis, Is a
Forespore-Specific Gene Controlled by
F, and KatX Is
Essential for Hydrogen Peroxide Resistance of the Germinating
Spore
Irina
Bagyan,
Lilliam
Casillas-Martinez, and
Peter
Setlow*
Department of Biochemistry, University of
Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032
Received 16 December 1997/Accepted 9 February 1998
Previous work has shown that the katX gene encodes the
major catalase in dormant spores of Bacillus subtilis but
that this enzyme has no role in dormant spore resistance to hydrogen
peroxide. Expression of a katX-lacZ fusion began at
approximately h 2 of sporulation, and >75% of the
katX-driven
-galactosidase was packaged into the mature
spore. A mutation in the gene coding for the sporulation-specific RNA
polymerase sigma factor
F abolished
katX-lacZ expression, while mutations in genes encoding
E,
G, and
K did not.
Induction of
F synthesis in vegetative cells also
resulted in katX-lacZ expression, while induction of
G expression did not; the katX-lacZ fusion
was also not induced by hydrogen peroxide. Upstream of the in vivo
katX transcription start site there are sequences with good
homology to those upstream of known
F-dependent start
sites. These data indicate that katX is an additional member of the forespore-specific
F regulon. A mutant in
the katA gene, encoding the major catalase in growing
cells, was sensitive to hydrogen peroxide during sporulation, while a
katX mutant was not. However, outgrowth of katX
spores, but not katA spores, was sensitive to hydrogen
peroxide. Consequently, a major function for KatX is to protect
germinating spores from hydrogen peroxide.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032. Phone: (860) 679-2607. Fax: (860) 679-3408. E-mail:
setlow{at}sun.uchc.edu.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Ibarra, J. R., Orozco, A. D., Rojas, J. A., Lopez, K., Setlow, P., Yasbin, R. E., Pedraza-Reyes, M.
(2008). Role of the Nfo and ExoA Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonucleases in Repair of DNA Damage during Outgrowth of Bacillus subtilis Spores. J. Bacteriol.
190: 2031-2038
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Igarashi, T., Setlow, P.
(2006). Transcription of the Bacillus subtilis gerK Operon, Which Encodes a Spore Germinant Receptor, and Comparison with That of Operons Encoding Other Germinant Receptors. J. Bacteriol.
188: 4131-4136
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Kudva, I. T., Griffin, R. W., Garren, J. M., Calderwood, S. B., John, M.
(2005). Identification of a Protein Subset of the Anthrax Spore Immunome in Humans Immunized with the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed Preparation. Infect. Immun.
73: 5685-5696
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Steil, L., Serrano, M., Henriques, A. O., Volker, U.
(2005). Genome-wide analysis of temporally regulated and compartment-specific gene expression in sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology
151: 399-420
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Carniol, K., Kim, T.-J., Price, C. W., Losick, R.
(2004). Insulation of the {sigma}F Regulatory System in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol.
186: 4390-4394
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Hilbert, D. W., Piggot, P. J.
(2004). Compartmentalization of Gene Expression during Bacillus subtilis Spore Formation. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
68: 234-262
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ramirez, M. I., Castellanos-Juarez, F. X., Yasbin, R. E., Pedraza-Reyes, M.
(2004). The ytkD (mutTA) Gene of Bacillus subtilis Encodes a Functional Antimutator 8-Oxo-(dGTP/GTP)ase and Is under Dual Control of Sigma A and Sigma F RNA Polymerases. J. Bacteriol.
186: 1050-1059
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Michan, S., Lledias, F., Hansberg, W.
(2003). Asexual Development Is Increased in Neurospora crassa cat-3-Null Mutant Strains. Eukaryot Cell
2: 798-808
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ragkousi, K., Eichenberger, P., van Ooij, C., Setlow, P.
(2003). Identification of a New Gene Essential for Germination of Bacillus subtilis Spores with Ca2+-Dipicolinate. J. Bacteriol.
185: 2315-2329
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Li, Z., Piggot, P. J.
(2001). Development of a two-part transcription probe to determine the completeness of temporal and spatial compartmentalization of gene expression during bacterial development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
10.1073/pnas.221454798v1
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Setlow, B., Melly, E., Setlow, P.
(2001). Properties of Spores of Bacillus subtilis Blocked at an Intermediate Stage in Spore Germination. J. Bacteriol.
183: 4894-4899
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Fuangthong, M., Atichartpongkul, S., Mongkolsuk, S., Helmann, J. D.
(2001). OhrR Is a Repressor of ohrA, a Key Organic Hydroperoxide Resistance Determinant in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol.
183: 4134-4141
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Amaya, E., Khvorova, A., Piggot, P. J.
(2001). Analysis of Promoter Recognition In Vivo Directed by {sigma}F of Bacillus subtilis by Using Random-Sequence Oligonucleotides. J. Bacteriol.
183: 3623-3630
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Nicholson, W. L., Munakata, N., Horneck, G., Melosh, H. J., Setlow, P.
(2000). Resistance of Bacillus Endospores to Extreme Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Environments. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
64: 548-572
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Hahn, J.-S., Oh, S.-Y., Roe, J.-H.
(2000). Regulation of the furA and catC Operon, Encoding a Ferric Uptake Regulator Homologue and Catalase-Peroxidase, Respectively, in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). J. Bacteriol.
182: 3767-3774
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Juan Wu, L., Errington, J.
(2000). Identification and Characterization of a New Prespore-Specific Regulatory Gene, rsfA, of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol.
182: 418-424
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Driks, A.
(1999). Bacillus subtilis Spore Coat. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
63: 1-20
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Bagyan, I., Setlow, B., Setlow, P.
(1998). New Small, Acid-Soluble Proteins Unique to Spores of Bacillus subtilis: Identification of the Coding Genes and Regulation and Function of Two of These Genes. J. Bacteriol.
180: 6704-6712
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Setlow, B., Setlow, P.
(1998). Heat Killing of Bacillus subtilis Spores in Water Is Not Due to Oxidative Damage. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
64: 4109-4112
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Li, Z., Piggot, P. J.
(2001). Development of a two-part transcription probe to determine the completeness of temporal and spatial compartmentalization of gene expression during bacterial development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
98: 12538-12543
[Abstract]
[Full Text]