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Journal of Bacteriology, January 1999, p. 493-500, Vol. 181, No. 2
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Temporal Expression of the Bacillus subtilis secA Gene, Encoding a Central Component of the Preprotein Translocase

Markus Herbort,1 Michael Klein,1 Erik H. Manting,2 Arnold J. M. Driessen,2 and Roland Freudl1,*

Institut für Biotechnologie 1, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany,1 and Department of Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, NL-9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands2

Received 17 August 1998/Accepted 9 November 1998

In Bacillus subtilis, the secretion of extracellular proteins strongly increases upon transition from exponential growth to the stationary growth phase. It is not known whether the amounts of some or all components of the protein translocation apparatus are concomitantly increased in relation to the increased export activity. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptional organization and temporal expression of the secA gene, encoding a central component of the B. subtilis preprotein translocase. We found that secA and the downstream gene (prfB) constitute an operon that is transcribed from a vegetative (sigma A-dependent) promoter located upstream of secA. Furthermore, using different independent methods, we found that secA expression occurred mainly in the exponential growth phase, reaching a maximal value almost precisely at the transition from exponential growth to the stationary growth phase. Following to this maximum, the de novo transcription of secA sharply decreased to a low basal level. Since at the time of maximal secA transcription the secretion activity of B. subtilis strongly increases, our results clearly demonstrate that the expression of at least one of the central components of the B. subtilis protein export apparatus is adapted to the increased demand for protein secretion. Possible mechanistic consequences are discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut für Biotechnologie 1, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany. Phone: (49) 2461-613472. Fax: (49) 2461-612710. E-mail: r.freudl{at}fzjuelich.de.

Journal of Bacteriology, January 1999, p. 493-500, Vol. 181, No. 2
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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