Genetic aspects of bacterial endospore formation

Piggot, Patrick J.; Coote, J. G.

doi:10.1128/br.40.4.908-962.1976

Cited by 462 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 253 publications

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“…mutated in the loci denoted IIB, IIC and IID, make the DNAase as well as alkaline phosphatase. The sequence of expression of these stage II loci has been deduced (Coote & Mandelstam, 1973;Piggot & Coote, 1976). From the available data, spoII loci are expressed in the following order: spoII (E, F, G)-* spoIIA -*spoII (B, C, D) (the loci in parentheses have not been ordered).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extracellular manganese-stimulated deoxyribonuclease as a marker event in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Akrigg¹,

Mandelstam²

1978

Biochemical Journal

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A considerable amount of Mn2+-stimulated DNAase (deoxyribonuclease) activity is released by Bacillus subtilis 168 during sporulation in a glucose-deficient medium; much smaller amounts are released during starvation for phosphate or nitrogen. Protein synthesis is required. Two forms of evidence are presented that production of the DNAase is associated with events late in stage II of sporulation. 19 Thymidine starvation, which inhibits the biochemical events associated with sporulation, also inhibits release of the DNAase. 2. Several asporogenous mutants blocked at stage II or earlier and unable to produce alkaline phosphatase (a stage-II event) do not produce the enzyme. Mutants blocked towards the end of stage II or later produce both enzymes. During sporulation of the wild-type strain, the DNAase appears about 1 h after alkaline phosphatase. The results suggest that production of the DNAase is controlled by a still-undiscovered stage-II genetic locus.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All the strains were grown in hydrolysed casein medium until the density reached 0.3mg dry wt./ml, centrifuged, transferred to an equal volume of resuspension medium and incubated at 37°C for 5 h. (Piggot & Coote, 1976). resuspension medium.…”

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confidence: 99%

Extracellular manganese-stimulated deoxyribonuclease as a marker event in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Akrigg¹,

Mandelstam²

1978

Biochemical Journal

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“…Endospores are formed during the process of sporulation, which is a survival strategy when spore-forming bacteria encounter severe environmental stresses or starvation. In Bacillus subtilis , there are seven stages of sporulation, with each step controlled by specific regulatory cascades in a coordinated temporal pattern ( Ryter et al, 1966 ; Piggot and Coote, 1976 ). Early steps in this process involve the replication of the chromosome, asymmetric septum formation and the coordinated packaging of the DNA into the smaller forespore compartment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nε-Lysine Acetylation of the Histone-Like Protein HBsu Regulates the Process of Sporulation and Affects the Resistance Properties of Bacillus subtilis Spores

Luu

Mott²,

Schreiber³

et al. 2022

Front. Microbiol.

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Bacillus subtilis produces dormant, highly resistant endospores in response to extreme environmental stresses or starvation. These spores are capable of persisting in harsh environments for many years, even decades, without essential nutrients. Part of the reason that these spores can survive such extreme conditions is because their chromosomal DNA is well protected from environmental insults. The α/β-type small acid-soluble proteins (SASPs) coat the spore chromosome, which leads to condensation and protection from such insults. The histone-like protein HBsu has been implicated in the packaging of the spore chromosome and is believed to be important in modulating SASP-mediated alterations to the DNA, including supercoiling and stiffness. Previously, we demonstrated that HBsu is acetylated at seven lysine residues, and one physiological function of acetylation is to regulate chromosomal compaction. Here, we investigate if the process of sporulation or the resistance properties of mature spores are influenced by the acetylation state of HBsu. Using our collection of point mutations that mimic the acetylated and unacetylated forms of HBsu, we first determined if acetylation affects the process of sporulation, by determining the overall sporulation frequencies. We found that specific mutations led to decreases in sporulation frequency, suggesting that acetylation of HBsu at some sites, but not all, is required to regulate the process of sporulation. Next, we determined if the spores produced from the mutant strains were more susceptible to heat, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and formaldehyde exposure. We again found that altering acetylation at specific sites led to less resistance to these stresses, suggesting that proper HBsu acetylation is important for chromosomal packaging and protection in the mature spore. Interestingly, the specific acetylation patterns were different for the sporulation process and resistance properties of spores, which is consistent with the notion that a histone-like code exists in bacteria. We propose that specific acetylation patterns of HBsu are required to ensure proper chromosomal arrangement, packaging, and protection during the process of sporulation.

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“…However, it was recently shown that a Bacillus subtilis sporulation mutant was able to survive deep starvation during several months by entering an oligotrophic state that supports extreme slow growth [6]. Moreover, spontaneous mutants in spo0A, the gene specifying the master regulator of sporulation [7,8], were isolated alongside spores after a month-long incubation of the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus under abiotic conditions in groundwater [9]. Furthermore, a B. cereus strain impaired in sporulation was shown to persist for several days on ready-to-eat vegetables and retained its ability to cause illness in a mammalian host [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A sporulation-independent way of life for Bacillus thuringiensis in the late stages of an infection

Toukabri

Lereclus

Slamti

2022

Preprint

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The formation of endospores has been considered as the unique mode of survival and transmission of sporulating Firmicutes due to the exceptional resistance and persistence of this bacterial form. However, the persistence of non-sporulated bacteria (Spo-) was reported during infection in Bacillus thuringiensis, an entomopathogenic sporulating Gram-positive bacterium. In this study, we investigated the behavior of a bacterial population in the late stages of an infection as well as the characteristics of the Spo- bacteria in the B. thuringiensis/Galleria mellonella infection model. Using fluorescent reporters coupled to flow cytometry as well as molecular markers, we demonstrated that the Spo- cells constitute about half of the population two weeks post-infection (pi) and that these bacteria present vitality signs. However, a protein synthesis and a growth recovery assay indicated that they are in a metabolically slowed-down state. Interestingly, they were extremely resistant to the cadaver environment which proved deadly for in vitro-grown vegetative cells and, strikingly, did not support spore germination. A transcriptomic analysis of this subpopulation at 7 days pi revealed a signature profile of this state. The expression analysis of individual genes at the cell level suggests that iron homeostasis is important at all stages of the infection, whereas the oxidative stress response seems of particular importance as the survival time increases. Altogether, these data show that non-sporulated bacteria are able to survive for a prolonged period of time and indicate that they engage in a profound adaptation process that leads to their persistence in the host cadaver.

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Genetic aspects of bacterial endospore formation

Cited by 462 publications

References 253 publications

Extracellular manganese-stimulated deoxyribonuclease as a marker event in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Extracellular manganese-stimulated deoxyribonuclease as a marker event in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Nε-Lysine Acetylation of the Histone-Like Protein HBsu Regulates the Process of Sporulation and Affects the Resistance Properties of Bacillus subtilis Spores

A sporulation-independent way of life for Bacillus thuringiensis in the late stages of an infection

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