Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1995 Jan;177(1):114–122. doi: 10.1128/jb.177.1.114-122.1995

The Bacillus subtilis rsbU gene product is necessary for RsbX-dependent regulation of sigma B.

U Voelker 1, A Dufour 1, W G Haldenwang 1
PMCID: PMC176563  PMID: 8002609

Abstract

sigma B is a secondary sigma factor of Bacillus subtilis. sigma B-dependent transcription is induced when B. subtilis enters the stationary phase of growth or is exposed to any of a number of different environmental stresses. Three genes (rsbV, rsbW, and rsbX), which are cotranscribed with the sigma B structural gene (sigB), encode regulators of sigma B-dependent gene expression. RsbW and RsbV have been shown to control sigma B activity, functioning as an inhibitory sigma B binding protein and its antagonist, respectively. Using the SPAC promoter (PSPAC) to control the expression of the sigB operon, a ctc::lacZ reporter system to monitor sigma B activity, and monoclonal antibodies to determine the levels of sigB operon products, we have now obtained evidence that RsbX is an indirect regulator of sigma B activity. Genetic data and in vivo measurements argue that RsbX negatively regulates an extension of the RsbV-RsbW pathway that requires the product of an additional regulatory gene (rsbU) which lies immediately upstream of the sigB operon. The results are consistent with RsbU, or a process dependent on RsbU, being able to facilitate the RsbV-dependent release of sigma B from RsbW but normally prevented from doing this by RsbX.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (551.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alper S., Duncan L., Losick R. An adenosine nucleotide switch controlling the activity of a cell type-specific transcription factor in B. subtilis. Cell. 1994 Apr 22;77(2):195–205. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(94)90312-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benson A. K., Haldenwang W. G. Bacillus subtilis sigma B is regulated by a binding protein (RsbW) that blocks its association with core RNA polymerase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 15;90(6):2330–2334. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.6.2330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Benson A. K., Haldenwang W. G. Characterization of a regulatory network that controls sigma B expression in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1992 Feb;174(3):749–757. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.3.749-757.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Benson A. K., Haldenwang W. G. Regulation of sigma B levels and activity in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1993 Apr;175(8):2347–2356. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.8.2347-2356.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Benson A. K., Haldenwang W. G. The sigma B-dependent promoter of the Bacillus subtilis sigB operon is induced by heat shock. J Bacteriol. 1993 Apr;175(7):1929–1935. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.7.1929-1935.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Binnie C., Lampe M., Losick R. Gene encoding the sigma 37 species of RNA polymerase sigma factor from Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Aug;83(16):5943–5947. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.16.5943. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Boylan S. A., Redfield A. R., Brody M. S., Price C. W. Stress-induced activation of the sigma B transcription factor of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1993 Dec;175(24):7931–7937. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.24.7931-7937.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Boylan S. A., Redfield A. R., Price C. W. Transcription factor sigma B of Bacillus subtilis controls a large stationary-phase regulon. J Bacteriol. 1993 Jul;175(13):3957–3963. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.13.3957-3963.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Boylan S. A., Rutherford A., Thomas S. M., Price C. W. Activation of Bacillus subtilis transcription factor sigma B by a regulatory pathway responsive to stationary-phase signals. J Bacteriol. 1992 Jun;174(11):3695–3706. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.11.3695-3706.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Boylan S. A., Thomas M. D., Price C. W. Genetic method to identify regulons controlled by nonessential elements: isolation of a gene dependent on alternate transcription factor sigma B of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1991 Dec;173(24):7856–7866. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.24.7856-7866.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dufour A., Haldenwang W. G. Interactions between a Bacillus subtilis anti-sigma factor (RsbW) and its antagonist (RsbV). J Bacteriol. 1994 Apr;176(7):1813–1820. doi: 10.1128/jb.176.7.1813-1820.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Duncan L., Losick R. SpoIIAB is an anti-sigma factor that binds to and inhibits transcription by regulatory protein sigma F from Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 15;90(6):2325–2329. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.6.2325. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Duncan M. L., Kalman S. S., Thomas S. M., Price C. W. Gene encoding the 37,000-dalton minor sigma factor of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase: isolation, nucleotide sequence, chromosomal locus, and cryptic function. J Bacteriol. 1987 Feb;169(2):771–778. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.2.771-778.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Haldenwang W. G., Losick R. Novel RNA polymerase sigma factor from Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7000–7004. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7000. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Igo M. M., Losick R. Regulation of a promoter that is utilized by minor forms of RNA polymerase holoenzyme in Bacillus subtilis. J Mol Biol. 1986 Oct 20;191(4):615–624. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90449-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Igo M., Lampe M., Ray C., Schafer W., Moran C. P., Jr, Losick R. Genetic studies of a secondary RNA polymerase sigma factor in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Aug;169(8):3464–3469. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.8.3464-3469.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kalman S., Duncan M. L., Thomas S. M., Price C. W. Similar organization of the sigB and spoIIA operons encoding alternate sigma factors of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase. J Bacteriol. 1990 Oct;172(10):5575–5585. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.10.5575-5585.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kenney T. J., Moran C. P., Jr Organization and regulation of an operon that encodes a sporulation-essential sigma factor in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jul;169(7):3329–3339. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.7.3329-3339.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kirchman P. A., DeGrazia H., Kellner E. M., Moran C. P., Jr Forespore-specific disappearance of the sigma-factor antagonist spoIIAB: implications for its role in determination of cell fate in Bacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol. 1993 May;8(4):663–671. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb01610.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Min K. T., Hilditch C. M., Diederich B., Errington J., Yudkin M. D. Sigma F, the first compartment-specific transcription factor of B. subtilis, is regulated by an anti-sigma factor that is also a protein kinase. Cell. 1993 Aug 27;74(4):735–742. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90520-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rather P. N., Coppolecchia R., DeGrazia H., Moran C. P., Jr Negative regulator of sigma G-controlled gene expression in stationary-phase Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1990 Feb;172(2):709–715. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.2.709-715.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schmidt R., Margolis P., Duncan L., Coppolecchia R., Moran C. P., Jr, Losick R. Control of developmental transcription factor sigma F by sporulation regulatory proteins SpoIIAA and SpoIIAB in Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Dec;87(23):9221–9225. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.23.9221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Varón D., Boylan S. A., Okamoto K., Price C. W. Bacillus subtilis gtaB encodes UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and is controlled by stationary-phase transcription factor sigma B. J Bacteriol. 1993 Jul;175(13):3964–3971. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.13.3964-3971.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Völker U., Engelmann S., Maul B., Riethdorf S., Völker A., Schmid R., Mach H., Hecker M. Analysis of the induction of general stress proteins of Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology. 1994 Apr;140(Pt 4):741–752. doi: 10.1099/00221287-140-4-741. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wise A. A., Price C. W. Four additional genes in the sigB operon of Bacillus subtilis that control activity of the general stress factor sigma B in response to environmental signals. J Bacteriol. 1995 Jan;177(1):123–133. doi: 10.1128/jb.177.1.123-133.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Yansura D. G., Henner D. J. Use of the Escherichia coli lac repressor and operator to control gene expression in Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Jan;81(2):439–443. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.2.439. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Yasbin R. E., Wilson G. A., Young F. E. Transformation and transfection in lysogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis 168. J Bacteriol. 1973 Feb;113(2):540–548. doi: 10.1128/jb.113.2.540-548.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES