SigB, an alternative sigma factor of the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca, is synthesized during development and heat shock

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 147; no. 8; pp. 2265 - 2273
• Main Authors: Silakowski, Barbara, Muller, Susanne, Skladny, Heyko, Ehret, Heidi, Schairer, Hans U
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.08.2001; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - biosynthesis; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacteriology; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Hot Temperature; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; SigB protein; Sigma Factor - biosynthesis; Sigma Factor - genetics; Spores, Bacterial - genetics; Spores, Bacterial - metabolism; Stigmatella aurantiaca; Stigmatella aurantiaca - genetics; Stigmatella aurantiaca - growth & development; Stigmatella aurantiaca - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Temperature; Stigmatella aurantiaca; Enzyme; Environmental factor; Myxobacterales; Gene expression; Time variation; Polymerase chain reaction; Sporocarp; Heat; Antiserum; Sporulation; Glycosidases; Thermal shock; Development; Bacteria; Hydrolases; O-Glycosidases; Formation; Cystobacteraceae; β-Galactosidase; Fructification
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-147-8-2265

ZMBH, Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany 1 Author for correspondence: Hans U. Schairer. Tel: +49 6221 546880/30. Fax: +49 6221 545893. e-mail: hus{at}zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de Alternative sigma factors have been detected in the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca during indole-induced sporulation, fruiting body formation and heat shock using an antiserum raised against sigma factor SigB. The time course of sigB gene expression was analysed by RT-PCR and by determining ß-galactosidase activity during development in a merodiploid strain that harboured a sigB – lacZ fusion gene. Inactivation of the sigB gene by insertion of the neo gene resulted in the loss of one sigma factor as shown by Western analysis. Neither fruiting body formation nor sporulation, nor the production of possible SigB targets, such as DnaK, GroEL or HspA, were affected. Keywords: myxobacteria, developmental biology, Western analysis The GenBank accession number for the SigE sequence reported in this paper is AF023661 . a Present address: Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung GBF, Mascheroder Weg 1, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany. b B. Silakowski and S. Müller contributed equally to this work. c Present address: Praxis Dr Dr Greiner, Mollstraße 49a, D-68165 Mannheim, Germany.