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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2009, p. 4951-4958, Vol. 191, No. 15
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00549-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Extracytoplasmic Function {sigma} Factors with Overlapping Promoter Specificity Regulate Sublancin Production in Bacillus subtilis{triangledown} ,{dagger}

Yun Luo and John D. Helmann*

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

Received 24 April 2009/ Accepted 14 May 2009

Bacillus subtilis harbors seven extracytoplasmic function (ECF) {sigma} factors. At least three ECF {sigma} factors ({sigma}M, {sigma}W, and {sigma}X) are induced by, and provide resistance to, antibiotics and other agents eliciting cell envelope stress. Here, we report that ECF {sigma} factors also contribute to antibiotic production. B. subtilis 168 strains that are lysogenic for the SPβ bacteriophage produce sublancin, which inhibits the growth of other, nonlysogenic strains. Genetic studies demonstrate that synthesis of sublancin is largely dependent on {sigma}X, with a smaller contribution from {sigma}M. A sigM sigX double mutant is unable to produce sublancin. This defect is primarily due to the fact that the sublancin biosynthesis is positively activated by the transition state regulator and AbrB paralog Abh, which counteracts transcriptional repression of the sublancin biosynthesis operon by AbrB. Ectopic expression of abh bypasses the requirement for {sigma}M or {sigma}X in sublancin synthesis, as does an abrB mutation. In addition to their major role in regulating sublancin expression by activating abh transcription, {sigma}X and {sigma}M also have a second role as positive regulators of sublancin expression that is independent of AbrB and Abh. Since sublancin resistance in nonlysogens is largely dependent on {sigma}W, ECF {sigma} factors control both sublancin production and resistance.

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

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 22 May 2009.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.

Journal of Bacteriology, August 2009, p. 4951-4958, Vol. 191, No. 15
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00549-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Murray, E. J., Strauch, M. A., Stanley-Wall, N. R. (2009). {sigma}X Is Involved in Controlling Bacillus subtilis Biofilm Architecture through the AbrB Homologue Abh. J. Bacteriol. 191: 6822-6832 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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