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 Cao, M.
Right arrow Articles by Helmann, J. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cao, M.
Right arrow Articles by Helmann, J. D.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
*Protein
*Substance via MeSH

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, February 2004, p. 1136-1146, Vol. 186, No. 4
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.4.1136-1146.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Bacillus subtilis Extracytoplasmic-Function {sigma}X Factor Regulates Modification of the Cell Envelope and Resistance to Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides

Min Cao and John D. Helmann*

Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-8101

Received 15 July 2003/ Accepted 12 September 2003

Bacillus subtilis contains seven extracytoplasmic-function {sigma} factors that activate partially overlapping regulons. We here identify four additional members of the {sigma}X regulon, pbpX (penicillin-binding protein), ywnJ, the dlt operon (D-alanylation of teichoic acids), and the pss ybfM psd operon (phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis). Modification of teichoic acids by esterification with D-alanine and incorporation of phosphatidylethanolamine into the cell membrane have a common consequence: in both cases positively charged amino groups are introduced into the cell envelope. The resulting reduction in the net negative charge of the cell envelope has been previously implicated as a resistance mechanism specific for cationic antimicrobial peptides. Consistent with this notion, we find that both sigX and dltA mutants are more sensitive to nisin than wild-type cells. We conclude that activation of the {sigma}X regulon serves to alter cell surface properties to provide protection against antimicrobial peptides.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Wing Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101. Phone: (607) 255-6570. Fax: (607) 255-3904. E-mail: jdh9{at}cornell.edu.


Journal of Bacteriology, February 2004, p. 1136-1146, Vol. 186, No. 4
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.4.1136-1146.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Ross, C. L., Thomason, K. S., Koehler, T. M. (2009). An Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factor Controls {beta}-Lactamase Gene Expression in Bacillus anthracis and Other Bacillus cereus Group Species. J. Bacteriol. 191: 6683-6693 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Luo, Y., Helmann, J. D. (2009). Extracytoplasmic Function {sigma} Factors with Overlapping Promoter Specificity Regulate Sublancin Production in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 191: 4951-4958 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hachmann, A.-B., Angert, E. R., Helmann, J. D. (2009). Genetic Analysis of Factors Affecting Susceptibility of Bacillus subtilis to Daptomycin. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 1598-1609 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wecke, T., Zuhlke, D., Mader, U., Jordan, S., Voigt, B., Pelzer, S., Labischinski, H., Homuth, G., Hecker, M., Mascher, T. (2009). Daptomycin versus Friulimicin B: In-Depth Profiling of Bacillus subtilis Cell Envelope Stress Responses. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 1619-1623 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wilks, J. C., Kitko, R. D., Cleeton, S. H., Lee, G. E., Ugwu, C. S., Jones, B. D., BonDurant, S. S., Slonczewski, J. L. (2009). Acid and Base Stress and Transcriptomic Responses in Bacillus subtilis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 981-990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Froehlich, B. J., Bates, C., Scott, J. R. (2009). Streptococcus pyogenes CovRS Mediates Growth in Iron Starvation and in the Presence of the Human Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37. J. Bacteriol. 191: 673-677 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Salzberg, L. I., Helmann, J. D. (2008). Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Characterization of Bacillus subtilis Mutants with Grossly Altered Membrane Composition. J. Bacteriol. 190: 7797-7807 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tseng, C.-L., Shaw, G.-C. (2008). Genetic Evidence for the Actin Homolog Gene mreBH and the Bacitracin Resistance Gene bcrC as Targets of the Alternative Sigma Factor SigI of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 190: 1561-1567 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Butcher, B. G., Lin, Y.-P., Helmann, J. D. (2007). The yydFGHIJ Operon of Bacillus subtilis Encodes a Peptide That Induces the LiaRS Two-Component System. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8616-8625 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mascher, T., Hachmann, A.-B., Helmann, J. D. (2007). Regulatory Overlap and Functional Redundancy among Bacillus subtilis Extracytoplasmic Function {sigma} Factors. J. Bacteriol. 189: 6919-6927 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hyyrylainen, H.-L., Pietiainen, M., Lunden, T., Ekman, A., Gardemeister, M., Murtomaki-Repo, S., Antelmann, H., Hecker, M., Valmu, L., Sarvas, M., Kontinen, V. P. (2007). The density of negative charge in the cell wall influences two-component signal transduction in Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 153: 2126-2136 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kobayashi, K. (2007). Bacillus subtilis Pellicle Formation Proceeds through Genetically Defined Morphological Changes. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4920-4931 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jervis, A. J., Thackray, P. D., Houston, C. W., Horsburgh, M. J., Moir, A. (2007). SigM-Responsive Genes of Bacillus subtilis and Their Promoters. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4534-4538 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Velez, M. P., Verhoeven, T. L. A., Draing, C., Von Aulock, S., Pfitzenmaier, M., Geyer, A., Lambrichts, I., Grangette, C., Pot, B., Vanderleyden, J., De Keersmaecker, S. C. J. (2007). Functional Analysis of D-Alanylation of Lipoteichoic Acid in the Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3595-3604 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wecke, T., Veith, B., Ehrenreich, A., Mascher, T. (2006). Cell Envelope Stress Response in Bacillus licheniformis: Integrating Comparative Genomics, Transcriptional Profiling, and Regulon Mining To Decipher a Complex Regulatory Network. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7500-7511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Palumbo, E., Deghorain, M., Cocconcelli, P. S., Kleerebezem, M., Geyer, A., Hartung, T., Morath, S., Hols, P. (2006). D-Alanyl Ester Depletion of Teichoic Acids in Lactobacillus plantarum Results in a Major Modification of Lipoteichoic Acid Composition and Cell Wall Perforations at the Septum Mediated by the Acm2 Autolysin.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3709-3715 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Deslouches, B., Islam, K., Craigo, J. K., Paranjape, S. M., Montelaro, R. C., Mietzner, T. A. (2005). Activity of the De Novo Engineered Antimicrobial Peptide WLBU2 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Human Serum and Whole Blood: Implications for Systemic Applications. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 3208-3216 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pietiainen, M., Gardemeister, M., Mecklin, M., Leskela, S., Sarvas, M., Kontinen, V. P. (2005). Cationic antimicrobial peptides elicit a complex stress response in Bacillus subtilis that involves ECF-type sigma factors and two-component signal transduction systems. Microbiology 151: 1577-1592 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Scheffers, D.-J. (2005). Dynamic localization of penicillin-binding proteins during spore development in Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology 151: 999-1012 [Abstract] [Full Text]