Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1988 Apr;170(4):1467–1474. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.4.1467-1474.1988

SOS-like induction in Bacillus subtilis: induction of the RecA protein analog and a damage-inducible operon by DNA damage in Rec+ and DNA repair-deficient strains.

C M Lovett Jr 1, P E Love 1, R E Yasbin 1, J W Roberts 1
PMCID: PMC210990  PMID: 3127374

Abstract

We quantitated the induction of the Bacillus subtilis Rec protein (the analog of Escherichia coli RecA protein) and the B. subtilis din-22 operon (representative of a set of DNA damage-inducible operons in B. subtilis) following DNA damage in Rec+ and DNA repair-deficient strains. After exposure to mitomycin C or UV irradiation, each of four distinct rec (recA1, recB2, recE4, and recM13) mutations reduced to the same extent the rates of both Rec protein induction (determined by densitometric scanning of immunoblot transfers) and din-22 operon induction (determined by assaying beta-galactosidase activity in din-22::Tn917-lacZ fusion strains). The induction deficiencies in recA1 and recE4 strains were partially complemented by the E. coli RecA protein, which was expressed on a plasmid in B. subtilis; the E. coli RecA protein had no effect on either induction event in Rec+, recB2, or recM13 strains. These results suggest that (i) the expression of both the B. subtilis Rec protein and the din-22 operon share a common regulatory component, (ii) the recA1 and recE4 mutations affect the regulation and/or activity of the B. subtilis Rec protein, and (iii) an SOS regulatory system like the E. coli system is highly conserved in B. subtilis. We also showed that the basal level of B. subtilis Rec protein is about 4,500 molecules per cell and that maximum induction by DNA damage causes an approximately fivefold increase in the rate of Rec protein accumulation.

Full text

PDF
1467

Selected References

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

  1. Casaregola S., D'Ari R., Huisman O. Quantitative evaluation of recA gene expression in Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet. 1982;185(3):430–439. doi: 10.1007/BF00334135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Craig N. L., Roberts J. W. E. coli recA protein-directed cleavage of phage lambda repressor requires polynucleotide. Nature. 1980 Jan 3;283(5742):26–30. doi: 10.1038/283026a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dodson L. A., Hadden C. T. Capacity for postreplication repair correlated with transducibility in Rec- mutants of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1980 Nov;144(2):608–615. doi: 10.1128/jb.144.2.608-615.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dubnau D., Cirigliano C. Genetic characterization of recombination-deficient mutants of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1974 Feb;117(2):488–493. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.2.488-493.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dubnau D., Davidoff-Abelson R., Scher B., Cirigliano C. Fate of transforming deoxyribonucleic acid after uptake by competent Bacillus subtilis: phenotypic characterization of radiation-sensitive recombination-deficient mutants. J Bacteriol. 1973 Apr;114(1):273–286. doi: 10.1128/jb.114.1.273-286.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Friedman B. M., Yasbin R. E. The genetics and specificity of the constitutive excision repair system of Bacillus subtilis. Mol Gen Genet. 1983;190(3):481–486. doi: 10.1007/BF00331080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ghosh R. K., Siddiqui K. A., Mukhopadhyay G., Ghosh A. Evidence that a system similar to the recA system of Escherichia coli exists in Vibrio cholerae. Mol Gen Genet. 1985;200(3):439–441. doi: 10.1007/BF00425728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hadden C. T. Pyrimidine dimer excision in a Bacillus subtilis Uvr- mutant. J Bacteriol. 1979 Jul;139(1):247–255. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.1.247-255.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hofemeister J., Böhme H. DNA repair in Proteus mirabilis. III.Survival, dimer excision, and UV reactivation in comparison with Escherichia coli K12. Mol Gen Genet. 1975 Nov 24;141(2):147–161. doi: 10.1007/BF00267680. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Howard C. A., Baker T. I. Identification of DNA repair and damage induced proteins from Neurospora crassa. Mol Gen Genet. 1986 Jun;203(3):462–467. doi: 10.1007/BF00422071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kenyon C. J., Walker G. C. DNA-damaging agents stimulate gene expression at specific loci in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 May;77(5):2819–2823. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.5.2819. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lampe M. F., Bott K. F. Cloning of the Bacillus subtilis recF gene. Gene. 1985;38(1-3):139–144. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(85)90212-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lee M. G., Yarranton G. T. Inducible DNA repair in Ustilago maydis. Mol Gen Genet. 1982;185(2):245–250. doi: 10.1007/BF00330793. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Little J. W., Edmiston S. H., Pacelli L. Z., Mount D. W. Cleavage of the Escherichia coli lexA protein by the recA protease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jun;77(6):3225–3229. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3225. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Little J. W., Mount D. W. The SOS regulatory system of Escherichia coli. Cell. 1982 May;29(1):11–22. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90085-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Love P. E., Lyle M. J., Yasbin R. E. DNA-damage-inducible (din) loci are transcriptionally activated in competent Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Sep;82(18):6201–6205. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.18.6201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Love P. E., Yasbin R. E. Genetic characterization of the inducible SOS-like system of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1984 Dec;160(3):910–920. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.3.910-920.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Love P. E., Yasbin R. E. Induction of the Bacillus subtilis SOS-like response by Escherichia coli RecA protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(14):5204–5208. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.14.5204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lovett C. M., Jr, Roberts J. W. Purification of a RecA protein analogue from Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Chem. 1985 Mar 25;260(6):3305–3313. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Marrero R., Yasbin R. E. Cloning of the Bacillus subtilis recE+ gene and functional expression of recE+ in B. subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1988 Jan;170(1):335–344. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.1.335-344.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. McPartland A., Green L., Echols H. Control of recA gene RNA in E. coli: regulatory and signal genes. Cell. 1980 Jul;20(3):731–737. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90319-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. NESTER E. W., STOCKER B. A. BIOSYNTHETIC LATENCY IN EARLY STAGES OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACIDTRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS. J Bacteriol. 1963 Oct;86:785–796. doi: 10.1128/jb.86.4.785-796.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Notani N. K., Setlow J. K. Inducible repair system in Haemophilus influenzae unaccompanied by mutation. J Bacteriol. 1980 Jul;143(1):516–519. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.1.516-519.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Phizicky E. M., Roberts J. W. Induction of SOS functions: regulation of proteolytic activity of E. coli RecA protein by interaction with DNA and nucleoside triphosphate. Cell. 1981 Jul;25(1):259–267. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90251-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Piggot P. J., Hoch J. A. Revised genetic linkage map of Bacillus subtilis. Microbiol Rev. 1985 Jun;49(2):158–179. doi: 10.1128/mr.49.2.158-179.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Radding C. M. Homologous pairing and strand exchange in genetic recombination. Annu Rev Genet. 1982;16:405–437. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.16.120182.002201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Ruby S. W., Szostak J. W. Specific Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes are expressed in response to DNA-damaging agents. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Jan;5(1):75–84. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.1.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Walker G. C. Mutagenesis and inducible responses to deoxyribonucleic acid damage in Escherichia coli. Microbiol Rev. 1984 Mar;48(1):60–93. doi: 10.1128/mr.48.1.60-93.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Williams D. M., Duvall E. J., Lovett P. S. Cloning restriction fragments that promote expression of a gene in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1981 Jun;146(3):1162–1165. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.3.1162-1165.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Witkin E. M. Ultraviolet mutagenesis and inducible DNA repair in Escherichia coli. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Dec;40(4):869–907. doi: 10.1128/br.40.4.869-907.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Yasbin R. E. DNA repair in Bacillus subtilis. I. The presence of an inducible system. Mol Gen Genet. 1977 Jun 8;153(2):211–218. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Yasbin R. E. DNA repair in Bacillus subtilis. II. Activation of the inducible system in competent bacteria. Mol Gen Genet. 1977 Jun 8;153(2):219–225. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Yasbin R. E., Fields P. I., Andersen B. J. Properties of Bacillus subtilis 168 derivatives freed of their natural prophages. Gene. 1980 Dec;12(1-2):155–159. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(80)90026-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. de Vos W. M., Venema G. Transformation of Bacillus subtilis competent cells: identification of a protein involved in recombination. Mol Gen Genet. 1982;187(3):439–445. doi: 10.1007/BF00332625. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. de Vos W. M., de Vries S. C., Venema G. Cloning and expression of the Escherichia coli recA gene in Bacillus subtilis. Gene. 1983 Nov;25(2-3):301–308. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(83)90234-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES