The program of gene transcription for a single differentiating cell type during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

• Published in: PLoS biology Vol. 2; no. 10; p. e328
• Main Authors: Eichenberger, Patrick, Fujita, Masaya, Jensen, Shane T, Conlon, Erin M, Rudner, David Z, Wang, Stephanie T, Ferguson, Caitlin, Haga, Koki, Sato, Tsutomu, Liu, Jun S, Losick, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.10.2004; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Amino Acid Motifs; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis - genetics; Bacillus subtilis - physiology; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Bacterial Proteins - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; beta-Galactosidase - metabolism; Binding Sites; Cell Biology; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Chromosome Mapping; Computational Biology - methods; Deoxyribonuclease I - metabolism; DNA - chemistry; DNA - genetics; Down-Regulation; Eubacteria; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genetic engineering; Genetics/Genomics/Gene Therapy; Genomes; Microbiology; Models, Genetic; Models, Statistical; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Plasmids - metabolism; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Protein Binding; Proteins; RNA polymerase; Signal transduction; Spores, Bacterial - chemistry; Transcription, Genetic; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Bacillus subtilis; beta-Galactosidase; Molecular Sequence Data; Spores, Bacterial; Deoxyribonuclease I; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Transcription, Genetic; Binding Sites; Genes, Bacterial; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Down-Regulation; Computational Biology; Gene Expression Regulation; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Chromosome Mapping; Models, Statistical; Amino Acid Motifs; Bacterial Proteins; Plasmids; DNA; Protein Binding; Models, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• ISSN: 1545-7885; 1544-9173; 1545-7885
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020328

Asymmetric division during sporulation by Bacillus subtilis generates a mother cell that undergoes a 5-h program of differentiation. The program is governed by a hierarchical cascade consisting of the transcription factors: sigma(E), sigma(K), GerE, GerR, and SpoIIID. The program consists of the activation and repression of 383 genes. The sigma(E) factor turns on 262 genes, including those for GerR and SpoIIID. These DNA-binding proteins downregulate almost half of the genes in the sigma(E) regulon. In addition, SpoIIID turns on ten genes, including genes involved in the appearance of sigma(K). Next, sigma(K) activates 75 additional genes, including that for GerE. This DNA-binding protein, in turn, represses half of the genes that had been activated by sigma(K) while switching on a final set of 36 genes. Evidence is presented that repression and activation contribute to proper morphogenesis. The program of gene expression is driven forward by its hierarchical organization and by the repressive effects of the DNA-binding proteins. The logic of the program is that of a linked series of feed-forward loops, which generate successive pulses of gene transcription. Similar regulatory circuits could be a common feature of other systems of cellular differentiation.