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 Paidhungat, M.
Right arrow Articles by Setlow, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Paidhungat, M.
Right arrow Articles by Setlow, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, July 2001, p. 3982-3990, Vol. 183, No. 13
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.13.3982-3990.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Localization of a Germinant Receptor Protein (GerBA) to the Inner Membrane of Bacillus subtilis Spores

Madan Paidhungat and Peter Setlow*

Department of Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut

Received 18 December 2000/Accepted 26 March 2001

Dormant Bacillus subtilis spores germinate in response to specific nutrients called germinants, which are recognized by multisubunit receptor complexes encoded by members of the gerA family of operons, of which the gerB operon is a member. The germinant receptors are expected to be membrane associated, but there is some debate about whether they are located in the inner or outer spore membrane. In this study we have used Western blot analysis to determine the precise location of GerBA, a gerB-encoded receptor protein, in various spore fractions. GerBA was not extracted from spores by a decoating treatment that removes the coat and outer membrane but was present in lysates from decoated spores and in the insoluble fraction (termed P100) from such lysates that contained inner-membrane vesicles. GerBA was also solubilized from the P100 fraction with detergent but not with high salt. These findings suggest that GerBA is an integral membrane protein located in the spore's inner membrane. Consistent with this idea, GerBA was present in the cell membrane of the outgrowing spore, a membrane that is derived from the dormant spore's inner membrane. Based on these observations we propose that GerBA and probably the entire GerB germinant receptor are located in the inner membrane of the dormant spore. We also estimated that there are only 24 to 40 molecules of GerBA per spore, a number that is consistent with the previously reported low level of gerB operon expression and with the putative receptor function of the proteins encoded by the gerB operon.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry, MC 3305, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030. Phone: (860) 679-2607. Fax: (860) 679-3408. E-mail: setlow{at}sun.uchc.edu.


Journal of Bacteriology, July 2001, p. 3982-3990, Vol. 183, No. 13
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.13.3982-3990.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Paredes-Sabja, D., Udompijitkul, P., Sarker, M. R. (2009). Inorganic Phosphate and Sodium Ions Are Cogerminants for Spores of Clostridium perfringens Type A Food Poisoning-Related Isolates. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 6299-6305 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ghosh, S., Zhang, P., Li, Y.-q., Setlow, P. (2009). Superdormant Spores of Bacillus Species Have Elevated Wet-Heat Resistance and Temperature Requirements for Heat Activation. J. Bacteriol. 191: 5584-5591 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paredes-Sabja, D., Setlow, P., Sarker, M. R. (2009). GerO, a Putative Na+/H+-K+ Antiporter, Is Essential for Normal Germination of Spores of the Pathogenic Bacterium Clostridium perfringens. J. Bacteriol. 191: 3822-3831 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mongkolthanaruk, W., Robinson, C., Moir, A. (2009). Localization of the GerD spore germination protein in the Bacillus subtilis spore. Microbiology 155: 1146-1151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ghosh, S., Setlow, P. (2009). Isolation and Characterization of Superdormant Spores of Bacillus Species. J. Bacteriol. 191: 1787-1797 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Christie, G., Lowe, C. R. (2008). Amino Acid Substitutions in Transmembrane Domains 9 and 10 of GerVB That Affect the Germination Properties of Bacillus megaterium Spores. J. Bacteriol. 190: 8009-8017 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pelczar, P. L., Setlow, P. (2008). Localization of the Germination Protein GerD to the Inner Membrane in Bacillus subtilis Spores. J. Bacteriol. 190: 5635-5641 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paredes-Sabja, D., Setlow, B., Setlow, P., Sarker, M. R. (2008). Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Spores That Lack SpoVA Proteins and Dipicolinic Acid. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4648-4659 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Christie, G., Lazarevska, M., Lowe, C. R. (2008). Functional Consequences of Amino Acid Substitutions to GerVB, a Component of the Bacillus megaterium Spore Germinant Receptor. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2014-2022 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Christie, G., Lowe, C. R. (2007). Role of Chromosomal and Plasmid-Borne Receptor Homologues in the Response of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 Spores to Germinants. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4375-4383 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Costa, T., Serrano, M., Steil, L., Volker, U., Moran, C. P. Jr., Henriques, A. O. (2007). The Timing of cotE Expression Affects Bacillus subtilis Spore Coat Morphology but Not Lysozyme Resistance. J. Bacteriol. 189: 2401-2410 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Masayama, A., Kuwana, R., Takamatsu, H., Hemmi, H., Yoshimura, T., Watabe, K., Moriyama, R. (2007). A Novel Lipolytic Enzyme, YcsK (LipC), Located in the Spore Coat of Bacillus subtilis, Is Involved in Spore Germination. J. Bacteriol. 189: 2369-2375 [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]  
  • Hornstra, L. M., de Vries, Y. P., Wells-Bennik, M. H. J., de Vos, W. M., Abee, T. (2006). Characterization of Germination Receptors of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 44-53 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vepachedu, V. R., Setlow, P. (2005). Localization of SpoVAD to the Inner Membrane of Spores of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 187: 5677-5682 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Igarashi, T., Setlow, P. (2005). Interaction between Individual Protein Components of the GerA and GerB Nutrient Receptors That Trigger Germination of Bacillus subtilis Spores. J. Bacteriol. 187: 2513-2518 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hornstra, L. M., de Vries, Y. P., de Vos, W. M., Abee, T., Wells-Bennik, M. H. J. (2005). gerR, a Novel ger Operon Involved in L-Alanine- and Inosine-Initiated Germination of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 774-781 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cowan, A. E., Olivastro, E. M., Koppel, D. E., Loshon, C. A., Setlow, B., Setlow, P. (2004). Lipids in the inner membrane of dormant spores of Bacillus species are largely immobile. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 7733-7738 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Igarashi, T., Setlow, B., Paidhungat, M., Setlow, P. (2004). Effects of a gerF (lgt) Mutation on the Germination of Spores of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 186: 2984-2991 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chada, V. G. R., Sanstad, E. A., Wang, R., Driks, A. (2003). Morphogenesis of Bacillus Spore Surfaces. J. Bacteriol. 185: 6255-6261 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Igura, N., Kamimura, Y., Islam, M. S., Shimoda, M., Hayakawa, I. (2003). Effects of Minerals on Resistance of Bacillus subtilis Spores to Heat and Hydrostatic Pressure. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 6307-6310 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cabrera-Martinez, R.-M., Tovar-Rojo, F., Vepachedu, V. R., Setlow, P. (2003). Effects of Overexpression of Nutrient Receptors on Germination of Spores of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 185: 2457-2464 [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]  
  • Chirakkal, H., O'Rourke, M., Atrih, A., Foster, S. J., Moir, A. (2002). Analysis of spore cortex lytic enzymes and related proteins in Bacillus subtilis endospore germination. Microbiology 148: 2383-2392 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Barlass, P. J., Houston, C. W., Clements, M. O., Moir, A. (2002). Germination of Bacillus cereus spores in response to L-alanine and to inosine: the roles of gerL and gerQ operons. Microbiology 148: 2089-2095 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paidhungat, M., Setlow, B., Daniels, W. B., Hoover, D., Papafragkou, E., Setlow, P. (2002). Mechanisms of Induction of Germination of Bacillus subtilis Spores by High Pressure. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 3172-3175 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bagyan, I., Setlow, P. (2002). Localization of the Cortex Lytic Enzyme CwlJ in Spores of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 184: 1219-1224 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tovar-Rojo, F., Chander, M., Setlow, B., Setlow, P. (2002). The Products of the spoVA Operon Are Involved in Dipicolinic Acid Uptake into Developing Spores of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 184: 584-587 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paidhungat, M., Ragkousi, K., Setlow, P. (2001). Genetic Requirements for Induction of Germination of Spores of Bacillus subtilis by Ca2+-Dipicolinate. J. Bacteriol. 183: 4886-4893 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hudson, K. D., Corfe, B. M., Kemp, E. H., Feavers, I. M., Coote, P. J., Moir, A. (2001). Localization of GerAA and GerAC Germination Proteins in the Bacillus subtilis Spore. J. Bacteriol. 183: 4317-4322 [Abstract] [Full Text]