Disruption of Two-component System LytSR Affects Forespore Engulfment in Bacillus thuringiensis

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology Vol. 7; p. 468
• Main Authors: Peng, Qi, Wu, Jianbo, Chen, Xiaomin, Qiu, Lili, Zhang, Jie, Tian, Hongtao, Song, Fuping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 03.11.2017
• Subjects: Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacillus thuringiensis - genetics; Bacillus thuringiensis - growth & development; Bacillus thuringiensis - physiology; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - physiology; beta-Galactosidase - genetics; DNA, Bacterial; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - physiology; Genes, Bacterial; LytSR; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Microbiology; Mutation; spoIIP; Spores, Bacterial - physiology; sporulation; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - physiology; Transcription, Genetic; two-component system; LytSR; spoIIP; Bacillus thuringiensis; sporulation; two-component system
• ISSN: 2235-2988; 2235-2988
• DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00468

Two-component regulatory systems (TCSs) play pivotal roles in bacteria sensing many different stimuli from environment. Here, we investigated the role of the LytSR TCS in spore formation in ( ) subsp. HD73. gene fusions revealed that the transcription of the downstream genes, , encoding two putative membrane-associated proteins, is regulated by LytSR. The sporulation efficiency of a mutant was significantly lower than that of wild-type HD73. A confocal microscopic analysis demonstrated that LytSR modulates the process of forespore engulfment. Moreover, the transcription of the operon is regulated by the mother-cell transcription factor SigE, whereas the transcription of the sporulation gene was reduced in the mutant, as demonstrated with a β-galactosidase activity assay. These results suggest that LytSR modulates forespore engulfment by affecting the transcription of the gene in .