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Journal of Bacteriology, June 2000, p. 3266-3273, Vol. 182, No. 11
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.
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
*
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.
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