This Article Full Text (PDF) Other Versions of this Article: JB.01181-07v1 189/23/8616    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Butcher, B. G. Articles by Helmann, J. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Butcher, B. G. Articles by Helmann, J. D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.01181-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

The yydFGHIJ operon of Bacillus subtilis encodes a peptide that induces the LiaRS two-component system

Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jdh9{at}cornell.edu.

	Abstract

The Bacillus subtilis LiaRS two-component system (TCS) responds to perturbations of the cell envelope induced by lipid II interacting antibiotics such as vancomycin, ramoplanin, nisin, and bacitracin. Here we characterize Tn7-generated mutations that induce the liaRS TCS. In addition to insertions in liaF, a known negative regulator of the LiaRS TCS, we identified two disruptions in the last two genes of the yydFGHIJ operon. This operon is predicted to encode a 49aa peptide (YydF), a modification enzyme (YydG), a membrane-embedded protease (YydH), and an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter (YydIJ). Genome sequence comparisons suggest that the yydFGHIJ operon may have been acquired by horizontal transfer. Inactivation of the YydIJ transporter resulted in increased expression from the LiaR-dependent P_liaI promoter only in the presence of the yydFGH genes. Cells harboring the complete yydFGHIJ operon induced LiaR activity in co-cultured cells lacking either this transporter or the complete operon. These results suggest that this operon is involved in the synthesis and export of a modified peptide (YydF*) that elicits cell envelope stress sensed by the LiaRS TCS.