JB
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Zheng, G.
Right arrow Articles by Zuber, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Zheng, G.
Right arrow Articles by Zuber, P.

Journal of Bacteriology, June 2000, p. 3266-3273, Vol. 182, No. 11
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Mutational Analysis of the sbo-alb Locus of Bacillus subtilis: Identification of Genes Required for Subtilosin Production and Immunity

Guolu Zheng,1 Robin Hehn,1,2 and Peter Zuber1,*

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Beaverton, Oregon 97006,1 and Portland Lutheran High School, Portland, Oregon 972332

Received 14 December 1999/Accepted 17 March 2000

The Bacillus subtilis 168 derivative JH642 produces a bacteriocin, subtilosin, which possesses activity against Listeria monocytogenes. Inspection of the amino acid sequence of the presubtilosin polypeptide encoded by the gene sboA and sequence data from analysis of mature subtilosin indicate that the precursor subtilosin peptide undergoes several unique and unusual chemical modifications during its maturation process. The genes of the sbo-alb operon are believed to function in the synthesis and maturation of subtilosin. Nonpolar mutations introduced into each of the alb genes resulted in loss or reduction of subtilosin production. sboA, albA, and albF mutants showed no antilisterial activity, indicating that the products of these genes are critical for the production of active subtilosin. Mutations in albB, -C, and -D resulted in reduction of antilisterial activity and decreased immunity to subtilosin, particularly under anaerobic conditions. A new gene, sboX, encoding another bacteriocin-like product was discovered residing in a sequence overlapping the coding region of sboA. Construction of an sboX-lacZ translational fusion and analysis of its expression indicate that sboX is induced in stationary phase of anaerobic cultures of JH642. An in-frame deletion of the sboX coding sequence did not affect the antilisterial activity or production of or immunity to subtilosin. The results of this investigation show that the sbo-alb genes are required for the mechanisms of subtilosin synthesis and immunity.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, 20000 NW Walker Rd., Beaverton, OR 97006. Phone: (503) 748-7335. Fax: (503) 748-1464. E-mail: pzuber{at}bmb.ogi.edu.

Journal of Bacteriology, June 2000, p. 3266-3273, Vol. 182, No. 11
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:



Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Appl. Environ. Microbiol. Infect. Immun. Eukaryot. Cell
Mol. Cell. Biol. J. Virol. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
ALL ASM JOURNALS

Copyright © 2000 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.