The gene glvA of Bacillus subtilis 168 encodes a metal-requiring, NAD(H)-dependent 6-phospho-alpha-glucosidase. Assignment to family 4 of the glycosylhydrolase superfamily

Changes in protein synthesis during the adaptation of Bacillus subtilis to anaerobic growth conditions

After a shift of Bacillus subtilis from aerobic to anaerobic growth conditions, nitrate ammonification and various fermentative processes replace oxygen-dependent respiration. Cell-free extracts prepared from wild-type B. subtilis and from mutants of the regulatory loci fnr and resDE grown under aerobic and various anaerobic conditions were compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins involved in the adaptation process were identified by their N-terminal sequence. Induction of cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase (LctE) synthesis under anaerobic fermentative conditions was dependent on fnr and resDE. Anaerobic nitrate repression of LctE formation required fnr-mediated expression of narGHJI, encoding respiratory nitrate reductase. Anaerobic induction of the flavohaemoglobin Hmp required resDE and nitrite. The general anaerobic induction of ywfl, encoding a protein of unknown function, was modulated by resDE and fnr. The ywfl gene shares its upstream region with the pta gene, encoding the fermentative enzyme acetyl-CoA:orthophosphate acetyltransferase. Anaerobic repression of the synthesis of a potential membrane-associated NADH dehydrogenase (YjlD, Ndh), and anaerobic induction of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FbaA) and dehydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (PhdD, Lpd) formation, did not require fnr or resDE participation. Synthesis of glycerol kinase (GlpK) was decreased under anaerobic conditions. Finally, the effect of anaerobic stress induced by the immediate shift from aerobic to strictly anaerobic conditions was analysed. The induction of various systems for the utilization of alternative carbon sources such as inositol (IoIA, IoIG, IoIH, IoII), melibiose (MeIA) and 6-phospho-alpha-glucosides (GIvA) indicated a catabolite-response-like stress reaction.

Novel phosphotransferase system genes revealed by genome analysis - the complete complement of PTS proteins encoded within the genome of Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis can utilize several sugars as single sources of carbon and energy. Many of these sugars are transported and concomitantly phosphorylated by the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS). In addition to its role in sugar uptake, the PTS is one of the major signal transduction systems in B. subtilis. In this study, an analysis of the complete set of PTS proteins encoded within the B. subtilis genome is presented. Fifteen sugar-specific PTS permeases were found to be present and the functions of novel PTS permeases were studied based on homology to previously characterized permeases, analysis of the structure of the gene clusters in which the permease encoding genes are located and biochemical analysis of relevant mutants. Members of the glucose, sucrose, lactose, mannose and fructose/mannitol families of PTS permeases were identified. Interestingly, nine pairs of IIB and IIC domains belonging to the glucose and sucrose permease families are present in B. subtilis; by contrast only five Enzyme IIA(Glc)-like proteins or domains are encoded within the B. subtilis genome. Consequently, some of the EIIA(Glc)-like proteins must function in phosphoryl transfer to more than one IIB domain of the glucose and sucrose families. In addition, 13 PTS-associated proteins are encoded within the B. subtilis genome. These proteins include metabolic enzymes, a bifunctional protein kinase/phosphatase, a transcriptional cofactor and transcriptional regulators that are involved in PTS-dependent signal transduction. The PTS proteins and the auxiliary PTS proteins represent a highly integrated network that catalyses and simultaneously modulates carbohydrate utilization in this bacterium.

Cellobiose-6-phosphate hydrolase (CelF) of Escherichia coli: characterization and assignment to the unusual family 4 of glycosylhydrolases

The gene celF of the cryptic cel operon of Escherichia coli has been cloned, and the encoded 6-phospho-beta-glucosidase (cellobiose-6-phosphate [6P] hydrolase; CelF [EC 3.2.1.86]) has been expressed and purified in a catalytically active state. Among phospho-beta-glycosidases, CelF exhibits unique requirements for a divalent metal ion and NAD(+) for activity and, by sequence alignment, is assigned to family 4 of the glycosylhydrolase superfamily. CelF hydrolyzed a variety of P-beta-glucosides, including cellobiose-6P, salicin-6P, arbutin-6P, gentiobiose-6P, methyl-beta-glucoside-6P, and the chromogenic analog, p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside-6P. In the absence of a metal ion and NAD(+), purified CelF was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated. The functional roles of the cofactors have not been established, but NAD(+) appears not to be a reactant and there is no evidence for reduction of the nucleotide during substrate cleavage. In solution, native CelF exists as a homotetramer (M(w), approximately 200,000) composed of noncovalently linked subunits, and this oligomeric structure is maintained independently of the presence or absence of a metal ion. The molecular weight of the CelF monomer (M(r), approximately 50,000), estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, is in agreement with that calculated from the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide (450 residues; M(r) = 50,512). Comparative sequence alignments provide tentative identification of the NAD(+)-binding domain (residues 7 to 40) and catalytically important glutamyl residues (Glu(112) and Glu(356)) of CelF.

Properties of maltose-inducible alpha-glucosidase MalL (sucrase-isomaltase-maltase) in Bacillus subtilis: evidence for its contribution to maltodextrin utilization

Recently, we identified the maltose inducible alpha-glucosidase MalL of Bacillus subtilis. The malL gene encodes a 561-residue protein with amino acid identities to several alpha-glucosidases and is located in a nine-gene spanning gene cluster, which is presumably organized in an operon. MalL was overproduced, purified, and its enzymatic characteristics were described in more detail. This characterization of the enzyme showed a protein stable up to 37 degrees C after temperature treatment for 15 min and exhibiting an optimal reaction temperature of 42 degrees C. Various disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, and isomaltose were hydrolyzed with different efficiencies. MalL also hydrolyzes longer maltodextrins from maltotriose up to maltohexaose, but not maltoheptaose, palatinose, isomaltotriose, or isomaltotetraose. MalL expression is subject to both maltose induction and carbon catabolite repression. In this article, we present data demonstrating that induction of MalL expression also occurs when starch, amylose, or glycogen are present in the growth medium. The hydrolysis of these substrates by alpha-amylase presumably leads to products which, when taken up into the cytoplasm, trigger the initiation of maltose operon transcription. Furthermore, MalL expression varies temporally, showing a second induction in the stationary growth phase.