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Bacillus subtilis Paraquat Resistance Is Directed by ^M, an Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factor, and Is Conferred by YqjL and BcrC

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

Received 23 August 2004/ Accepted 22 January 2005

A Bacillus subtilis sigM null mutant, lacking the extracytoplasmic function ^M protein, was sensitive to paraquat (PQ), a superoxide-generating reagent, but not to the redox stress-inducing compounds hydrogen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, or diamide. Surprisingly, a sigM mutant was only sensitive to superoxide-generating compounds with a dipyridyl ring such as PQ, ethyl viologen, benzyl viologen, and diquat but not to menadione, plumbagin, pyrogallol, or nitrofurantoin. Mutational analysis of candidate ^M-regulated genes revealed that both YqjL, a putative hydrolase, and BcrC, a bacitracin resistance protein, were involved in PQ resistance. Expression of yqjL, but not bcrC, from a xylose-inducible promoter restored PQ resistance to the sigM mutant.

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