Bacillus subtilis early sporulation genes kinA, spo0F, and spo0A are transcribed by the RNA polymerase containing sigma H

Artificial activation of both σH and Spo0A in Bacillus subtilis enforced initiation of spore development at the vegetatively growing phase

When Bacillus subtilis cells face environmental deterioration, such as exhaustion of nutrients and an increase in cell density, they form spores. It is known that phosphorylation of Spo0A and activation of σH are key events at the initiation of sporulation. However, the initiation of sporulation is an extremely complicated process, and the relationship between these two events remains to be elucidated. To determine the minimum requirements for triggering sporulation initiation, we attempted to induce cell sporulation at the log phase, regardless of nutrients and cell density. In rich media such as Luria-Bertani (LB) medium, the cells of B. subtilis do not sporulate efficiently, possibly because of excess nutrition. When the amount of xylose in the LB medium was limited, σH -dependent transcription of the strain, in which sigA was under the control of the xylose-inducible promoter, was induced, and the frequency of sporulation was elevated according to the decreased level of σA. We also employed a fusion of sad67, which codes for an active form of Spo0A, and the IPTG-inducible promoter. The combination of lowered σA expression and activated Spo0A allowed the cells in the log phase to stop growing and rush into spore development. This observation of enforced initiation of sporulation in the mutant strain was detected even in the presence of the wild-type strain, suggesting that only intracellular events initiate and fulfill spore development regardless of extracellular conditions. Under natural sporulation conditions, the amount of σA did not change drastically throughout growth. Mechanisms that sequester σA from the core RNA polymerase and help σH to become active exist, but this has not yet been elucidated.

The master regulator for entry into sporulation in Bacillus subtilis becomes a mother cell-specific transcription factor for forespore engulfment

The Spo0A transcription factor is activated by phosphorylation in starving Bacillus subtilis cells. The activated Spo0A (Spo0A~P) regulates genes controlling entry into sporulation and appears to control mother-cell-specific gene expression after asymmetric division, but the latter remains elusive. Here, we found that Spo0A~P directly binds to three conserved DNA sequences (0A1-3) in the promoter region of the mother cell-specific lytic transglycosylase gene spoIID, which is transcribed by σE -RNA polymerase (RNAP) and negatively controlled by the SpoIIID transcription factor and required for forespore engulfment. Systematic mutagenesis of the 0A boxes revealed that the 0A1 and 0A2 boxes located upstream of the promoter positively control the transcription of spoIID. In contrast, the 0A3 box located downstream of the promoter negatively controls the transcription of spoIID. The mutated SpoIIID binding site located between the -35 and -10 promoter elements causes increased expression of spoIID and reduced sporulation. When the mutations of 0A1, 0A2, and IIID sites are combined, sporulation is restored. Collectively, our data suggest that the mother cell-specific spoIID expression is precisely controlled by the coordination of three factors, Spo0A~P, SpoIIID, and σE -RNAP, for proper sporulation. The conservation of this mechanism across spore-forming species was discussed.

The transcription factor CpcR determines cell fate by modulating the initiation of sporulation in Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium capable of differentiating into a spore, a dormant and highly resistant cellular form. During the sporulation process, this bacterium produces insecticidal toxins in the form of a crystal inclusion, usually in the sporulating cell. We previously reported that the B. thuringiensis LM1212 strain can differentiate into two distinct subpopulations of spore formers and crystal producers, and that this division of labour phenotype provides bacterium with a fitness advantage in competition with a typical B. thuringiensis strain. The transcription factor CpcR was characterized as the regulator responsible for this phenotype. Here, we examined how CpcR interacts with sporulation network to control the cell differentiation. We found sporulation process was inhibited prior to polar septum formation, and that Spo0A activity was impaired, in the presence of cpcR in LM1212 strain. Using bioinformatics and genetic tools, we identified a gene positively controlled by CpcR encoding a putative phosphatase of Spo0E family known to specifically dephosphorylate Spo0A-P. We showed that this protein (called Spo0E1) is a negative regulator of sporulation and that variations in spo0E1 expression can modulate the production of spores. Using fluorescent reporters to follow gene expression at the single-cell level, we correlated expression of cpcR and sporulation genes to the formation of the two differentiated subpopulations. IMPORTANCE Formation of spores is a paradigm for study of cell differentiation in prokaryotes. Sporulation initiation is governed by a gradual increase in the level and activity of the master regulator Spo0A. Spo0A is usually indirectly phosphorylated by a multicomponent phosphorelay and modulation of this phosphorelay system is a critical aspect of Bacillus physiology. Though we know this phosphorelay system is usually affected by two negative regulatory mechanisms: rap genes and spo0E family genes, the regulatory mechanisms controlling the transcription of these genes are poorly understood. Here, we reported the transcription factor CpcR positively regulates a spo0E family gene and variations in spo0E expression can modulate the production of spores in B. thuringiensis. This work emphasizes the diversity in modes of sporulation and illustrate the diversity in the strategies employed by bacteria to control this differentiation pathway and ensure their survival.

Cellular Self-Digestion and Persistence in Bacteria

Cellular self-digestion is an evolutionarily conserved process occurring in prokaryotic cells that enables survival under stressful conditions by recycling essential energy molecules. Self-digestion, which is triggered by extracellular stress conditions, such as nutrient depletion and overpopulation, induces degradation of intracellular components. This self-inflicted damage renders the bacterium less fit to produce building blocks and resume growth upon exposure to fresh nutrients. However, self-digestion may also provide temporary protection from antibiotics until the self-digestion-mediated damage is repaired. In fact, many persistence mechanisms identified to date may be directly or indirectly related to self-digestion, as these processes are also mediated by many degradative enzymes, including proteases and ribonucleases (RNases). In this review article, we will discuss the potential roles of self-digestion in bacterial persistence.

6S-1 RNA Contributes to Sporulation and Parasporal Crystal Formation in Bacillus thuringiensis

6S RNA is a kind of high-abundance non-coding RNA that globally regulates bacterial transcription by interacting with RNA polymerase holoenzyme. Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that there are two tandem 6S RNA-encoding genes in the genomes of Bacillus cereus group bacteria. Using Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171 as the starting strain, we have explored the physiological functions of 6S RNAs, and found that the genes ssrSA and ssrSB encoding 6S-1 and 6S-2 RNAs were located in the same operon and are co-transcribed as a precursor that might be processed by specific ribonucleases to form mature 6S-1 and 6S-2 RNAs. We also constructed two single-gene deletion mutant strains ΔssrSA and ΔssrSB and a double-gene deletion mutant strain ΔssrSAB by means of the markerless gene knockout method. Our data show that deletion of 6S-1 RNA inhibited the growth of B. thuringiensis in the stationary phase, leading to lysis of some bacterial cells. Furthermore, deletion of 6S-1 RNA also significantly reduced the spore number and parasporal crystal content. Our work reveals that B. thuringiensis 6S RNA played an important regulatory role in ensuring the sporulation and parasporal crystal formation.

The Stress-Responsive Alternative Sigma Factor SigB of Bacillus subtilis and Its Relatives: An Old Friend With New Functions

Alternative sigma factors have led the core RNA polymerase (RNAP) to recognize different sets of promoters to those recognized by the housekeeping sigma A-directed RNAP. This change in RNAP promoter selectivity allows a rapid and flexible reformulation of the genetic program to face environmental and metabolic stimuli that could compromise bacterial fitness. The model bacterium Bacillus subtilis constitutes a matchless living system in the study of the role of alternative sigma factors in gene regulation and physiology. SigB from B. subtilis was the first alternative sigma factor described in bacteria. Studies of SigB during the last 40 years have shown that it controls a genetic universe of more than 150 genes playing crucial roles in stress response, adaption, and survival. Activation of SigB relies on three separate pathways that specifically respond to energy, environmental, and low temperature stresses. SigB homologs, present in other Gram-positive bacteria, also play important roles in virulence against mammals. Interestingly, during recent years, other unexpected B. subtilis responses were found to be controlled by SigB. In particular, SigB controls the efficiencies of spore and biofilm formation, two important features that play critical roles in adaptation and survival in planktonic and sessile B. subtilis communities. In B. subtilis, SigB induces the expression of the Spo0E aspartyl-phosphatase, which is responsible for the blockage of sporulation initiation. The upregulated activity of Spo0E connects the two predominant adaptive pathways (i.e., sporulation and stress response) present in B. subtilis. In addition, the RsbP serine-phosphatase, belonging to the energy stress arm of the SigB regulatory cascade, controls the expression of the key transcription factor SinR to decide whether cells residing in the biofilm remain in and maintain biofilm growth or scape to colonize new niches through biofilm dispersal. SigB also intervenes in the recognition of and response to surrounding microorganisms, a new SigB role that could have an agronomic impact. SigB is induced when B. subtilis is confronted with phytopathogenic fungi (e.g., Fusarium verticillioides) and halts fungal growth to the benefit of plant growth. In this article, we update and review literature on the different regulatory networks that control the activation of SigB and the new roles that have been described the recent years.

Responses of Rhizospheric Microbial Communities of Native and Alien Plant Species to Cuscuta Parasitism

Parasitic plants have major impacts on host fitness. In the case of species of the holoparasitic Cuscuta genus, these impacts were shown to be particularly strong in some invasive alien plants, which has raised interest in the underlying mechanism. We hypothesized that Cuscuta parasitization may exert strong influence in shaping the diversity patterns in the host rhizosphere microbiome and that this may vary between native (coevolved) and alien (non-coevolved) plants. Here, we report on a field study exploring the effect of parasitization by Cuscuta australis on the rhizosphere microbiota (16S and ITS rDNA) of four plant species sharing and three plant species not sharing the parasite's native range. Despite a predominant role of the host species in shaping the rhizosphere microbiota, the role of host origin and of parasitization still appeared important in structuring microbial communities and their associated functions. Bacterial communities were more strongly influenced than fungi by the native range of the host plant, while fungi were slightly more affected than bacteria by parasitization. About 7% of bacterial phylotypes and 11% of fungal phylotypes were sensitive to Cuscuta parasitization. Parasitization also reduced the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by ca. 18% and of several genes related to plant growth promoting functions (e.g., nitrogen metabolism and quorum sensing). Both fungi and bacteria differentially responded to host parasitization depending on host origin, and the extent of these shifts suggests that they may have more dramatic consequences for alien than for native plants.

Impact of CodY protein on metabolism, sporulation and virulence in Clostridioides difficile ribotype 027

Toxin synthesis and endospore formation are two of the most critical factors that determine the outcome of infection by Clostridioides difficile. The two major toxins, TcdA and TcdB, are the principal factors causing damage to the host. Spores are the infectious form of C. difficile, permit survival of the bacterium during antibiotic treatment and are the predominant cell form that leads to recurrent infection. Toxin production and sporulation have their own specific mechanisms of regulation, but they share negative regulation by the global regulatory protein CodY. Determining the extent of such regulation and its detailed mechanism is important for understanding the linkage between two apparently independent biological phenomena and raises the possibility of creating new ways of limiting infection. The work described here shows that a codY null mutant of a hypervirulent (ribotype 027) strain is even more virulent than its parent in a mouse model of infection and that the mutant expresses most sporulation genes prematurely during exponential growth phase. Moreover, examining the expression patterns of mutants producing CodY proteins with different levels of residual activity revealed that expression of the toxin genes is dependent on total CodY inactivation, whereas most sporulation genes are turned on when CodY activity is only partially diminished. These results suggest that, in wild-type cells undergoing nutrient limitation, sporulation genes can be turned on before the toxin genes.

Dual Regulation of Bacillus subtilis kinB Gene Encoding a Sporulation Trigger by SinR through Transcription Repression and Positive Stringent Transcription Control

It is known that transcription of kinB encoding a trigger for Bacillus subtilis sporulation is under repression by SinR, a master repressor of biofilm formation, and under positive stringent transcription control depending on the adenine species at the transcription initiation nucleotide (nt). Deletion and base substitution analyses of the kinB promoter (P_kinB) region using lacZ fusions indicated that either a 5-nt deletion (Δ5, nt -61/-57, +1 is the transcription initiation nt) or the substitution of G at nt -45 with A (G-45A) relieved kinB repression. Thus, we found a pair of SinR-binding consensus sequences (GTTCTYT; Y is T or C) in an inverted orientation (SinR-1) between nt -57/-42, which is most likely a SinR-binding site for kinB repression. This relief from SinR repression likely requires SinI, an antagonist of SinR. Surprisingly, we found that SinR is essential for positive stringent transcription control of P_kinB. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis indicated that SinR bound not only to SinR-1 but also to SinR-2 (nt -29/-8) consisting of another pair of SinR consensus sequences in a tandem repeat arrangement; the two sequences partially overlap the ‘-35’ and ‘-10’ regions of P_kinB. Introduction of base substitutions (T-27C C-26T) in the upstream consensus sequence of SinR-2 affected positive stringent transcription control of P_kinB, suggesting that SinR binding to SinR-2 likely causes this positive control. EMSA also implied that RNA polymerase and SinR are possibly bound together to SinR-2 to form a transcription initiation complex for kinB transcription. Thus, it was suggested in this work that derepression of kinB from SinR repression by SinI induced by Spo0A∼P and occurrence of SinR-dependent positive stringent transcription control of kinB might induce effective sporulation cooperatively, implying an intimate interplay by stringent response, sporulation, and biofilm formation.

Genetic networks controlled by the bacterial replication initiator and transcription factor DnaA in Bacillus subtilis

DnaA is the widely conserved bacterial AAA+ ATPase that functions as both the replication initiator and a transcription factor. In many organisms, DnaA controls expression of its own gene and likely several others during growth and in response to replication stress. To evaluate the effects of DnaA on gene expression, separate from its role in replication initiation, we analyzed changes in mRNA levels in Bacillus subtilis cells with and without dnaA, using engineered strains in which dnaA is not essential. We found that dnaA was required for many of the changes in gene expression in response to replication stress. We also found that dnaA indirectly affected expression of several regulons during growth, including those controlled by the transcription factors Spo0A, AbrB, PhoP, SinR, RemA, Rok and YvrH. These effects were largely mediated by the effects of DnaA on expression of sda. DnaA activates transcription of sda, and Sda inhibits histidine protein kinases required for activation of the transcription factor Spo0A. We also found that loss of dnaA caused a decrease in the development of genetic competence. Together, our results indicate that DnaA plays an important role in modulating cell physiology, separate from its role in replication initiation.

YodL and YisK Possess Shape-Modifying Activities That Are Suppressed by Mutations in Bacillus subtilis mreB and mbl

Many bacteria utilize actin-like proteins to direct peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis. MreB and MreB-like proteins are thought to act as scaffolds, guiding the localization and activity of key PG-synthesizing proteins during cell elongation. Despite their critical role in viability and cell shape maintenance, very little is known about how the activity of MreB family proteins is regulated. Using a Bacillus subtilis misexpression screen, we identified two genes, yodL and yisK, that when misexpressed lead to loss of cell width control and cell lysis. Expression analysis suggested that yodL and yisK are previously uncharacterized Spo0A-regulated genes, and consistent with these observations, a ΔyodL ΔyisK mutant exhibited reduced sporulation efficiency. Suppressors resistant to YodL's killing activity occurred primarily in mreB mutants and resulted in amino acid substitutions at the interface between MreB and the highly conserved morphogenic protein RodZ, whereas suppressors resistant to YisK occurred primarily in mbl mutants and mapped to Mbl's predicted ATP-binding pocket. YodL's shape-altering activity appears to require MreB, as a ΔmreB mutant was resistant to the effects of YodL but not YisK. Similarly, YisK appears to require Mbl, as a Δmbl mutant was resistant to the cell-widening effects of YisK but not of YodL. Collectively, our results suggest that YodL and YisK likely modulate MreB and Mbl activity, possibly during the early stages of sporulation.

IMPORTANCE

The peptidoglycan (PG) component of the cell envelope confers structural rigidity to bacteria and protects them from osmotic pressure. MreB and MreB-like proteins are thought to act as scaffolds for PG synthesis and are essential in bacteria exhibiting nonpolar growth. Despite the critical role of MreB-like proteins, we lack mechanistic insight into how their activities are regulated. Here, we describe the discovery of two B. subtilis proteins, YodL and YisK, which modulate MreB and Mbl activities. Our data suggest that YodL specifically targets MreB, whereas YisK targets Mbl. The apparent specificities with which YodL and YisK are able to differentially target MreB and Mbl make them potentially powerful tools for probing the mechanics of cytoskeletal function in bacteria.

The comER Gene Plays an Important Role in Biofilm Formation and Sporulation in both Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus

Bacteria adopt alternative cell fates during development. In Bacillus subtilis, the transition from planktonic growth to biofilm formation and sporulation is controlled by a complex regulatory circuit, in which the most important event is activation of Spo0A, a transcription factor and a master regulator for genes involved in both biofilm formation and sporulation. In B. cereus, the regulatory pathway controlling biofilm formation and cell differentiation is much less clear. In this study, we show that a novel gene, comER, plays a significant role in biofilm formation as well as sporulation in both B. subtilis and B. cereus. Mutations in the comER gene result in defects in biofilm formation and a delay in spore formation in the two Bacillus species. Our evidence supports the idea that comER may be part of the regulatory circuit that controls Spo0A activation. comER likely acts upstream of sda, a gene encoding a small checkpoint protein for both sporulation and biofilm formation, by blocking the phosphor-relay and thereby Spo0A activation. In summary, our studies outlined a conserved, positive role for comER, a gene whose function was previously uncharacterized, in the regulation of biofilm formation and sporulation in the two Bacillus species.

A protein complex supports the production of Spo0A-P and plays additional roles for biofilms and the K-state in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis can enter three developmental pathways to form spores, biofilms or K-state cells. The K-state confers competence for transformation and antibiotic tolerance. Transition into each of these states requires a stable protein complex formed by YlbF, YmcA and YaaT. We have reported that this complex acts in sporulation by accelerating the phosphorylation of the response regulator Spo0A. Phosphorelay acceleration was also predicted to explain their involvement in biofilm formation and the K-state. This view has been challenged in the case of biofilms, by the suggestion that the three proteins act in association with the mRNA degradation protein RNaseY (Rny) to destabilize the sinR transcript. Here, we reaffirm the roles of the three proteins in supporting the phosphorylation of Spo0A for all three developmental pathways and show that in their absence sinR mRNA is not stabilized. We demonstrate that the three proteins also play unknown Spo0A-P-independent roles in the expression of biofilm matrix and in the production of ComK, the master transcription factor for competence. Finally, we show that domesticated strains of B. subtilis carry a mutation in sigH, which influences the expression kinetics of the early spore gene spoIIG, thereby increasing the penetrance of the ylbF, ymcA and yaaT sporulation phenotypes.

Slowdown of growth controls cellular differentiation

How can changes in growth rate affect the regulatory networks behavior and the outcomes of cellular differentiation? We address this question by focusing on starvation response in sporulating Bacillus subtilis We show that the activity of sporulation master regulator Spo0A increases with decreasing cellular growth rate. Using a mathematical model of the phosphorelay-the network controlling Spo0A-we predict that this increase in Spo0A activity can be explained by the phosphorelay protein accumulation and lengthening of the period between chromosomal replication events caused by growth slowdown. As a result, only cells growing slower than a certain rate reach threshold Spo0A activity necessary for sporulation. This growth threshold model accurately predicts cell fates and explains the distribution of sporulation deferral times. We confirm our predictions experimentally and show that the concentration rather than activity of phosphorelay proteins is affected by the growth slowdown. We conclude that sensing the growth rates enables cells to indirectly detect starvation without the need for evaluating specific stress signals.

Salt-sensitivity of σ(H) and Spo0A prevents sporulation of Bacillus subtilis at high osmolarity avoiding death during cellular differentiation

The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis frequently experiences high osmolarity as a result of desiccation in the soil. The formation of a highly desiccation-resistant endospore might serve as a logical osmostress escape route when vegetative growth is no longer possible. However, sporulation efficiency drastically decreases concomitant with an increase in the external salinity. Fluorescence microscopy of sporulation-specific promoter fusions to gfp revealed that high salinity blocks entry into the sporulation pathway at a very early stage. Specifically, we show that both Spo0A- and SigH-dependent transcription are impaired. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the association of SigH with core RNA polymerase is reduced under these conditions. Suppressors that modestly increase sporulation efficiency at high salinity map to the coding region of sigH and in the regulatory region of kinA, encoding one the sensor kinases that activates Spo0A. These findings led us to discover that B. subtilis cells that overproduce KinA can bypass the salt-imposed block in sporulation. Importantly, these cells are impaired in the morphological process of engulfment and late forespore gene expression and frequently undergo lysis. Altogether our data indicate that B. subtilis blocks entry into sporulation in high-salinity environments preventing commitment to a developmental program that it cannot complete.

The Clostridium sporulation programs: diversity and preservation of endospore differentiation

SUMMARY

Bacillus and Clostridium organisms initiate the sporulation process when unfavorable conditions are detected. The sporulation process is a carefully orchestrated cascade of events at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels involving a multitude of sigma factors, transcription factors, proteases, and phosphatases. Like Bacillus genomes, sequenced Clostridium genomes contain genes for all major sporulation-specific transcription and sigma factors (spo0A, sigH, sigF, sigE, sigG, and sigK) that orchestrate the sporulation program. However, recent studies have shown that there are substantial differences in the sporulation programs between the two genera as well as among different Clostridium species. First, in the absence of a Bacillus-like phosphorelay system, activation of Spo0A in Clostridium organisms is carried out by a number of orphan histidine kinases. Second, downstream of Spo0A, the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of the canonical set of four sporulation-specific sigma factors (σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K)) display different patterns, not only compared to Bacillus but also among Clostridium organisms. Finally, recent studies demonstrated that σ(K), the last sigma factor to be activated according to the Bacillus subtilis model, is involved in the very early stages of sporulation in Clostridium acetobutylicum, C. perfringens, and C. botulinum as well as in the very late stages of spore maturation in C. acetobutylicum. Despite profound differences in initiation, propagation, and orchestration of expression of spore morphogenetic components, these findings demonstrate not only the robustness of the endospore sporulation program but also the plasticity of the program to generate different complex phenotypes, some apparently regulated at the epigenetic level.

Novel mechanisms of controlling the activities of the transcription factors Spo0A and ComA by the plasmid-encoded quorum sensing regulators Rap60-Phr60 in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis and its closest relatives have multiple rap-phr quorum sensing gene pairs that coordinate a variety of physiological processes with population density. Extra-chromosomal rap-phr genes are also present on mobile genetic elements, yet relatively little is known about their function. In this work, we demonstrate that Rap60-Phr60 from plasmid pTA1060 coordinates a variety of biological processes with population density including sporulation, cannibalism, biofilm formation and genetic competence. Similar to other Rap proteins that control sporulation, Rap60 modulates phosphorylation of the transcription factor Spo0A by acting as a phosphatase of Spo0F∼P, an intermediate of the sporulation phosphorelay system. Additionally, Rap60 plays a noncanonical role in regulating the autophosphorylation of the sporulation-specific kinase KinA, a novel activity for Rap proteins. In contrast, Rap proteins that modulate genetic competence interfere with DNA binding by the transcription factor ComA. Rap60 regulates the activity of ComA in a unique manner by forming a Rap60-ComA-DNA ternary complex that inhibits transcription of target genes. Taken together, this work provides new insight into two novel mechanisms of regulating Spo0A and ComA by Rap60 and expands our general understanding of how plasmid-encoded quorum sensing pairs regulate important biological processes.

Effects of supplementary butyrate on butanol production and the metabolic switch in Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052: genome-wide transcriptional analysis with RNA-Seq

BACKGROUND

Butanol (n-butanol) has high values as a promising fuel source and chemical feedstock. Biobutanol is usually produced by the solventogenic clostridia through a typical biphasic (acidogenesis and solventogenesis phases) acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation process. It is well known that the acids produced in the acidogenic phase are significant and play important roles in the switch to solventogenesis. However, the mechanism that triggers the metabolic switch is still not clear.

RESULTS

Sodium butyrate (40 mM) was supplemented into the medium for the ABE fermentation with Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052. With butyrate addition (reactor R1), solvent production was triggered early in the mid-exponential phase and completed quickly in < 50 h, while in the control (reactor R2), solventogenesis was initiated during the late exponential phase and took > 90 h to complete. Butyrate supplementation led to 31% improvement in final butanol titer, 58% improvement in sugar-based yield, and 133% improvement in butanol productivity, respectively. The butanol/acetone ratio was 2.4 versus 1.8 in the control, indicating a metabolic shift towards butanol production due to butyrate addition. Genome-wide transcriptional dynamics was investigated with RNA-Seq analysis. In reactor R1, gene expression related to solventogenesis was induced about 10 hours earlier when compared to that in reactor R2. Although the early sporulation genes were induced after the onset of solventogenesis in reactor R1 (mid-exponential phase), the sporulation events were delayed and uncoupled from the solventogenesis. In contrast, in reactor R2, sporulation genes were induced at the onset of solventogenesis, and highly expressed through the solventogenesis phase. The motility genes were generally down-regulated to lower levels prior to stationary phase in both reactors. However, in reactor R2 this took much longer and gene expression was maintained at comparatively higher levels after entering stationary phase.

CONCLUSIONS

Supplemented butyrate provided feedback inhibition to butyrate formation and may be re-assimilated through the reversed butyrate formation pathway, thus resulting in an elevated level of intracellular butyryl phosphate, which may act as a phosphate donor to Spo0A and then trigger solventogenesis and sporulation events. High-resolution genome-wide transcriptional analysis with RNA-Seq revealed detailed insights into the biochemical effects of butyrate on solventogenesis related-events at the gene regulation level.

Expression of kinA and kinB of Bacillus subtilis, necessary for sporulation initiation, is under positive stringent transcription control

Bacillus subtilis cells were exposed to decoyinine to trigger stringent transcription control through inhibition of GMP synthase; amino acid starvation results in the same control through inhibition of GMP kinase by 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate guanosine. The positive and negative transcription control of the stringent genes involves adenine and guanine at the transcription initiation sites, whereby they sense an increase and a decrease in the in vivo ATP and GTP pools, respectively. Decoyinine also induces sporulation in minimum medium. DNA microarray analysis revealed that decoyinine induced two major sensor kinase genes, kinA and kinB, involved in the phosphorelay leading to spore formation. lacZ fusion experiments involving the core promoter regions of kinA and kinB, whose transcription initiation bases are adenines, indicated that decoyinine induced their expression. This induction was independent of CodY and AbrB. When the adenines were replaced with guanines or cytosines, the induction by decoyinine decreased. The in situ replacement of the adenines with guanines actually affected this decoyinine-induced sporulation as well as massive sporulation in nutrient medium. These results imply that operation of the positive stringent transcription control of kinA and kinB, which is mediated by an increase in the ATP pool, is likely a prerequisite for the phosphorelay to transfer the phosphoryl group to Spo0A to initiate sporulation.

Novel modulators controlling entry into sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

Upon nutrient deprivation, Bacillus subtilis initiates the developmental process of sporulation by integrating environmental and extracellular signals. These signals are channeled into a phosphorelay ultimately activating the key transcriptional regulator of sporulation, Spo0A. Subsequently, phosphorylated Spo0A regulates the expression of genes required for sporulation to initiate. Here we identified a group of genes whose transcription levels are controlled by Spo0A during exponential growth. Among them, three upregulated genes, termed sivA, sivB (bslA), and sivC, encode factors found to inhibit Spo0A activation. We furthermore show that the Siv factors operate by reducing the activity of histidine kinases located at the top of the sporulation phosphorelay, thereby decreasing Spo0A phosphorylation. Thus, we demonstrate the existence of modulators, positively controlled by Spo0A, which inhibit inappropriate entry into the costly process of sporulation, when conditions are favorable for exponential growth.

Expression of a cryptic secondary sigma factor gene unveils natural competence for DNA transformation in Staphylococcus aureus

It has long been a question whether Staphylococcus aureus, a major human pathogen, is able to develop natural competence for transformation by DNA. We previously showed that a novel staphylococcal secondary sigma factor, SigH, was a likely key component for competence development, but the corresponding gene appeared to be cryptic as its expression could not be detected during growth under standard laboratory conditions. Here, we have uncovered two distinct mechanisms allowing activation of SigH production in a minor fraction of the bacterial cell population. The first is a chromosomal gene duplication rearrangement occurring spontaneously at a low frequency [≤10⁻⁵], generating expression of a new chimeric sigH gene. The second involves post-transcriptional regulation through an upstream inverted repeat sequence, effectively suppressing expression of the sigH gene. Importantly, we have demonstrated for the first time that S. aureus cells producing active SigH become competent for transformation by plasmid or chromosomal DNA, which requires the expression of SigH-controlled competence genes. Additionally, using DNA from the N315 MRSA strain, we successfully transferred the full length SCCmecII element through natural transformation to a methicillin-sensitive strain, conferring methicillin resistance to the resulting S. aureus transformants. Taken together, we propose a unique model for staphylococcal competence regulation by SigH that could help explain the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer in this important pathogen.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen responsible for a broad spectrum of infections, emphasized by the emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains with up to 60% of strains worldwide resistant to methicillin (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA). Indeed, MRSA-related infections are now one of the leading causes of death in the USA, highlighting the growing threat this bacterium poses to human health. Many bacteria have the ability to acquire novel genetic characteristics, including antibiotic resistance, through the uptake of extracellular DNA, a phenomenon known as natural genetic transformation or competence. We have shown that the SigH staphylococcal sigma factor is a likely key component for competence development, but that its gene is not expressed under standard laboratory conditions. Here, we have uncovered two distinct mechanisms allowing activation of SigH production in S. aureus: a chromosomal gene duplication rearrangement and post-transcriptional regulation through an upstream inverted repeat sequence. Importantly, we have demonstrated for the first time that S. aureus cells producing active SigH become competent for natural transformation by plasmid or chromosomal DNA, and we were able to confer methicillin resistance to a methicillin-sensitive strain by transformation with chromosomal DNA. SigH-dependent competence development in S. aureus could help explain the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes and the rise of the so-called “superbug."

C. difficile 630Δerm Spo0A regulates sporulation, but does not contribute to toxin production, by direct high-affinity binding to target DNA

Clostridium difficile is a Gram positive, anaerobic bacterium that can form highly resistant endospores. The bacterium is the causative agent of C. difficile infection (CDI), for which the symptoms can range from a mild diarrhea to potentially fatal pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. Endospore formation in Firmicutes, including C. difficile, is governed by the key regulator for sporulation, Spo0A. In Bacillus subtilis, this transcription factor is also directly or indirectly involved in various other cellular processes. Here, we report that C. difficile Spo0A shows a high degree of similarity to the well characterized B. subtilis protein and recognizes a similar binding sequence. We find that the laboratory strain C. difficile 630Δerm contains an 18bp-duplication near the DNA-binding domain compared to its ancestral strain 630. In vitro binding assays using purified C-terminal DNA binding domain of the C. difficile Spo0A protein demonstrate direct binding to DNA upstream of spo0A and sigH, early sporulation genes and several other putative targets. In vitro binding assays suggest that the gene encoding the major clostridial toxin TcdB may be a direct target of Spo0A, but supernatant derived from a spo0A negative strain was no less toxic towards Vero cells than that obtained from a wild type strain, in contrast to previous reports. These results identify for the first time direct (putative) targets of the Spo0A protein in C. difficile and make a positive effect of Spo0A on production of the large clostridial toxins unlikely.

cis-Acting elements that control expression of the master virulence regulatory gene atxA in Bacillus anthracis

Transcription of the Bacillus anthracis structural genes for the anthrax toxin proteins and biosynthetic operon for capsule is positively regulated by AtxA, a transcription regulator with unique properties. Consistent with the role of atxA in virulence factor expression, a B. anthracis atxA-null mutant is avirulent in a murine model for anthrax. In culture, multiple signals impact atxA transcript levels, and the timing and steady-state level of atxA expression are critical for optimal toxin and capsule synthesis. Despite the apparent complex control of atxA transcription, only one trans-acting protein, the transition state regulator AbrB, has been demonstrated to interact directly with the atxA promoter. Here we employ 5' and 3' deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis of the atxA control region to demonstrate that atxA transcription from the major start site P1 is dependent upon a consensus sequence for the housekeeping sigma factor SigA and an A+T-rich upstream element for RNA polymerase. We also show that an additional trans-acting protein(s) binds specifically to atxA promoter sequences located between -13 and +36 relative to P1 and negatively impacts transcription. Deletion of this region increases promoter activity up to 15-fold. Site-directed mutagenesis of a 9-bp palindromic sequence within the region prevents binding of the trans-acting protein(s), increasing promoter activity 7-fold and resulting in a corresponding increase in AtxA and anthrax toxin production. Notably, an atxA promoter mutant that produced elevated levels of AtxA and toxin proteins during culture was unaffected for virulence in a murine model for anthrax.

Genome-wide dynamic transcriptional profiling in Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 using single-nucleotide resolution RNA-Seq

Background

Clostridium beijerinckii is a prominent solvent-producing microbe that has great potential for biofuel and chemical industries. Although transcriptional analysis is essential to understand gene functions and regulation and thus elucidate proper strategies for further strain improvement, limited information is available on the genome-wide transcriptional analysis for C. beijerinckii.

Results

The genome-wide transcriptional dynamics of C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 over a batch fermentation process was investigated using high-throughput RNA-Seq technology. The gene expression profiles indicated that the glycolysis genes were highly expressed throughout the fermentation, with comparatively more active expression during acidogenesis phase. The expression of acid formation genes was down-regulated at the onset of solvent formation, in accordance with the metabolic pathway shift from acidogenesis to solventogenesis. The acetone formation gene (adc), as a part of the sol operon, exhibited highly-coordinated expression with the other sol genes. Out of the > 20 genes encoding alcohol dehydrogenase in C. beijerinckii, Cbei_1722 and Cbei_2181 were highly up-regulated at the onset of solventogenesis, corresponding to their key roles in primary alcohol production. Most sporulation genes in C. beijerinckii 8052 demonstrated similar temporal expression patterns to those observed in B. subtilis and C. acetobutylicum, while sporulation sigma factor genes sigE and sigG exhibited accelerated and stronger expression in C. beijerinckii 8052, which is consistent with the more rapid forespore and endspore development in this strain. Global expression patterns for specific gene functional classes were examined using self-organizing map analysis. The genes associated with specific functional classes demonstrated global expression profiles corresponding to the cell physiological variation and metabolic pathway switch.

Conclusions

The results from this work provided insights for further C. beijerinckii strain improvement employing system biology-based strategies and metabolic engineering approaches.

Integration of σB activity into the decision-making process of sporulation initiation in Bacillus subtilis

Spo0A∼P is the master regulator of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Activity of Spo0A is regulated by a phosphorelay integrating multiple positive and negative signals by the action of kinases and phosphatases. The phosphatase Spo0E specifically inactivates the response regulator Spo0A∼P by dephosphorylation. We identified a σ(B)-type promoter adjacent to spo0E that is activated by the general stress response sigma factor σ(B) and is responsible for spo0E induction in vivo. Ectopic expression of σ(B) and subsequent induction of spo0E cause a σ(B)-dependent block of sporulation-specific transcription of the spo0A and spoIIE genes and produces a sporulation-deficient phenotype. This effect could be erased by a deletion of the σ(B) promoter of spo0E and thus solely addresses σ(B) activity. Here, a molecular mechanism is shown that integrates σ(B) activity into the decision-making process of sporulation and provides a link to interconnect these two dominant and probably mutually exclusive adaptive responses in the regulatory network of B. subtilis.

Fluctuations in spo0A transcription control rare developmental transitions in Bacillus subtilis

Phosphorylated Spo0A is a master regulator of stationary phase development in the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis, controlling the formation of spores, biofilms, and cells competent for transformation. We have monitored the rate of transcription of the spo0A gene during growth in sporulation medium using promoter fusions to firefly luciferase. This rate increases sharply during transient diauxie-like pauses in growth rate and then declines as growth resumes. In contrast, the rate of transcription of an rRNA gene decreases and increases in parallel with the growth rate, as expected for stable RNA synthesis. The growth pause-dependent bursts of spo0A transcription, which reflect the activity of the spo0A vegetative promoter, are largely independent of all known regulators of spo0A transcription. Evidence is offered in support of a “passive regulation” model in which RNA polymerase stops transcribing rRNA genes during growth pauses, thus becoming available for the transcription of spo0A. We show that the bursts are followed by the production of phosphorylated Spo0A, and we propose that they represent initial responses to stress that bring the average cell closer to the thresholds for transition to bimodally expressed developmental responses. Measurement of the numbers of cells expressing a competence marker before and after the bursts supports this hypothesis. In the absence of ppGpp, the increase in spo0A transcription that accompanies the entrance to stationary phase is delayed and sporulation is markedly diminished. In spite of this, our data contradicts the hypothesis that sporulation is initiated when a ppGpp-induced depression of the GTP pool relieves repression by CodY. We suggest that, while the programmed induction of sporulation that occurs in stationary phase is apparently provoked by increased flux through the phosphorelay, bet-hedging stochastic transitions to at least competence are induced by bursts in transcription.

A hallmark of the intensively studied model organism Bacillus subtilis is its ability to enter developmental pathways: forming spores, acquiring the ability to take up environmental DNA, and the formation of biofilms. These pathways are dependent on the transcription factor Spo0A. All are expressed heterogeneously across populations of cells and exhibit characteristic rates of transition to the developmental pathways depending on environmental signals. We have monitored the rate of transcription of spo0A during growth and have detected unexpected fluctuations that correlate with pauses in the growth rate. We present support for a model in which the release of RNA polymerase from transcription of ribosomal RNA genes during the growth pauses permits increased transcription of spo0A. We show that these bursts in transcription increase the still-rare probability of transition to the transformable state, suggesting that this transition is limited by the transcription rate of spo0A. In contrast, it has been shown that the programmed development of spores is determined by the rate of phosphorylation of Spo0A. Thus there are two modes of developmental transition. We also show that a popular hypothesis for the initiation of spore formation by release of repression by the protein CodY is incorrect.

Genomic signatures of strain selection and enhancement in Bacillus atrophaeus var. globigii, a historical biowarfare simulant

BACKGROUND

Despite the decades-long use of Bacillus atrophaeus var. globigii (BG) as a simulant for biological warfare (BW) agents, knowledge of its genome composition is limited. Furthermore, the ability to differentiate signatures of deliberate adaptation and selection from natural variation is lacking for most bacterial agents. We characterized a lineage of BGwith a long history of use as a simulant for BW operations, focusing on classical bacteriological markers, metabolic profiling and whole-genome shotgun sequencing (WGS).

RESULTS

Archival strains and two "present day" type strains were compared to simulant strains on different laboratory media. Several of the samples produced multiple colony morphotypes that differed from that of an archival isolate. To trace the microevolutionary history of these isolates, we obtained WGS data for several archival and present-day strains and morphotypes. Bacillus-wide phylogenetic analysis identified B. subtilis as the nearest neighbor to B. atrophaeus. The genome of B. atrophaeus is, on average, 86% identical to B. subtilis on the nucleotide level. WGS of variants revealed that several strains were mixed but highly related populations and uncovered a progressive accumulation of mutations among the "military" isolates. Metabolic profiling and microscopic examination of bacterial cultures revealed enhanced growth of "military" isolates on lactate-containing media, and showed that the "military" strains exhibited a hypersporulating phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis revealed the genomic and phenotypic signatures of strain adaptation and deliberate selection for traits that were desirable in a simulant organism. Together, these results demonstrate the power of whole-genome and modern systems-level approaches to characterize microbial lineages to develop and validate forensic markers for strain discrimination and reveal signatures of deliberate adaptation.

Bacillus subtilis mutants harbouring a single copy of the rRNA operon exhibit severe defects in growth and sporulation

The number of copies of rRNA genes in bacterial genomes differs greatly among bacterial species. It is difficult to determine the functional significance of the heterogeneity of each rRNA operon fully due to the existence of multiple rRNA operons and because the sequence heterogeneity among the rRNA genes is extremely low. To overcome this problem, we sequentially deleted the ten rrn operons of Bacillus subtilis and constructed seven mutant strains that each harboured a single rrn operon (either rrnA, B, D, E, I, J or O) in their genome. The growth rates and sporulation frequencies of these mutants were reduced drastically compared with those of the wild-type strain, and this was probably due to decreased levels of ribosomes in the mutants. Interestingly, the ability to sporulate varied significantly among the mutant strains. These mutants have proved to be invaluable in our initial attempts to reveal the functional significance of the heterogeneity of each rRNA operon.

The threshold level of the sensor histidine kinase KinA governs entry into sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is controlled by a complex gene regulatory circuit that is activated upon nutrient deprivation. The initial process is directed by the phosphorelay, involving the major sporulation histidine kinase (KinA) and two additional phosphotransferases (Spo0F and Spo0B), that activates the master transcription factor Spo0A. Little is known about the initial event and mechanisms that trigger sporulation. Using a strain in which the synthesis of KinA is under the control of an IPTG (isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside)-inducible promoter, here we demonstrate that inducing the synthesis of the KinA beyond a certain level leads to the entry of the irreversible process of sporulation irrespective of nutrient availability. Moreover, the engineered cells expressing KinA under a sigma(H)-dependent promoter that is similar to but stronger than the endogenous kinA promoter induce sporulation during growth. These cells, which we designated COS (constitutive sporulation) cells, exhibit the morphology and properties of sporulating cells and express sporulation marker genes under nutrient-rich conditions. Thus, we created an engineered strain displaying two cell cycles (growth and sporulation) integrated into one cycle irrespective of culture conditions, while in the wild type, the appropriate cell fate decision is made depending on nutrient availability. These results suggest that the threshold level of the major sporulation kinase acts as a molecular switch to determine cell fate and may rule out the possibility that the activity of KinA is regulated in response to the unknown signal(s).

Single-cell measurement of the levels and distributions of the phosphorelay components in a population of sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells

Upon nutrient starvation, the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis switches from growth to sporulation by activating a multicomponent phosphorelay consisting of a major sensor histidine kinase (KinA), two phosphotransferases (Spo0F and Spo0B) and a response regulator (Spo0A). Although the primary sporulation signal(s) produced under starvation conditions is not known, it is believed that the reception of a signal(s) on the sensor kinase results in the activation of autophosphorylation of the enzyme. The phosphorylated kinase transfers the phosphate group to Spo0A via the phosphorelay and thus triggers sporulation. With a combination of quantitative immunoblot analysis, microscopy imaging and computational analysis, here we found that each of the phosphorelay components tested increased gradually over the period of sporulation, and that Spo0F was expressed in a more heterogeneous pattern than KinA and Spo0B in a sporulating cell population. We determined molecule numbers and concentrations of each phosphorelay component under physiological sporulation conditions at the single-cell level. Based on these results, we suggest that successful entry into the sporulation state is manifested by a certain critical level of each phosphorelay component, and thus that only a subpopulation achieves a sufficient intracellular quorum of the phosphorelay components to activate Spo0A and proceed successfully to the entry into sporulation.

Mathematical modelling of the sporulation-initiation network in Bacillus subtilis revealing the dual role of the putative quorum-sensing signal molecule PhrA

Bacillus subtilis cells may opt to forgo normal cell division and instead form spores if subjected to certain environmental stimuli, for example nutrient deficiency or extreme temperature. The resulting spores are extremely resilient and can survive for extensive periods of time, importantly under particularly harsh conditions such as those mentioned above. The sporulation process is highly time and energy consuming and essentially irreversible. The bacteria must therefore ensure that this route is only undertaken under appropriate circumstances. The gene regulation network governing sporulation initiation accordingly incorporates a variety of signals and is of significant complexity. We present a model of this network that includes four of these signals: nutrient levels, DNA damage, the products of the competence genes, and cell population size. Our results can be summarised as follows: (i) the model displays the correct phenotypic behaviour in response to these signals; (ii) a basal level of sda expression may prevent sporulation in the presence of nutrients; (iii) sporulation is more likely to occur in a large population of cells than in a small one; (iv) finally, and of most interest, PhrA can act simultaneously as a quorum-sensing signal and as a timing mechanism, delaying sporulation when the cell has damaged DNA, possibly thereby allowing the cell time to repair its DNA before forming a spore.

Heterochronic phosphorelay gene expression as a source of heterogeneity in Bacillus subtilis spore formation

In response to limiting nutrient sources and cell density signals, Bacillus subtilis can differentiate and form highly resistant endospores. Initiation of spore development is governed by the master regulator Spo0A, which is activated by phosphorylation via a multicomponent phosphorelay. Interestingly, only part of a clonal population will enter this developmental pathway, a phenomenon known as sporulation bistability or sporulation heterogeneity. How sporulation heterogeneity is established is largely unknown. To investigate the origins of sporulation heterogeneity, we constructed promoter-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to the main phosphorelay genes and perturbed their expression levels. Using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, we showed that expression of the phosphorelay genes is distributed in a unimodal manner. However, single-cell trajectories revealed that phosphorelay gene expression is highly dynamic or "heterochronic" between individual cells and that stochasticity of phosphorelay gene transcription might be an important regulatory mechanism for sporulation heterogeneity. Furthermore, we showed that artificial induction or depletion of the phosphorelay phosphate flow results in loss of sporulation heterogeneity. Our data suggest that sporulation heterogeneity originates from highly dynamic and variable gene activity of the phosphorelay components, resulting in large cell-to-cell variability with regard to phosphate input into the system. These transcriptional and posttranslational differences in phosphorelay activity appear to be sufficient to generate a heterogeneous sporulation signal without the need of the positive-feedback loop established by the sigma factor SigH.

Complexity in bacterial cell-cell communication: quorum signal integration and subpopulation signaling in the Bacillus subtilis phosphorelay

A common form of quorum sensing in gram-positive bacteria is mediated by peptides that act as phosphatase regulators (Phr) of receptor aspartyl phosphatases (Raps). In Bacillus subtilis, several Phr signals are integrated in sporulation phosphorelay signal transduction. We theoretically demonstrate that the phosphorelay can act as a computational machine performing a sensitive division operation of kinase-encoded signals by quorum-modulated Rap signals, indicative of cells computing a "food per cell" estimate to decide whether to enter sporulation. We predict expression from the rapA-phrA operon to bifurcate as relative environmental signals change in a developing population. We experimentally observe that the rapA-phrA operon is heterogeneously induced in sporulating microcolonies. Uninduced cells sporulate rather synchronously early on, whereas the RapA/PhrA subpopulation sporulates less synchronously throughout later stationary phase. Moreover, we show that cells sustain PhrA expression during periods of active growth. Together with the model, these findings suggest that the phosphorelay may normalize environmental signals by the size of the (sub)population actively competing for nutrients (as signaled by PhrA). Generalizing this concept, the various Phrs could facilitate subpopulation communication in dense isogenic communities to control the physiological strategies followed by differentiated subpopulations by interpreting (environmental) signals based on the spatiotemporal community structure.

Cereulide synthesis in emetic Bacillus cereus is controlled by the transition state regulator AbrB, but not by the virulence regulator PlcR

Cereulide, a depsipeptide structurally related to the antibiotic valinomycin, is responsible for the emetic type of gastrointestinal disease caused by Bacillus cereus. Recently, it has been shown that cereulide is produced non-ribosomally by the plasmid-encoded peptide synthetase Ces. Using deletion mutants of the emetic reference strain B. cereus F4810/72, the influence of the well-known transcription factors PlcR, Spo0A and AbrB on cereulide production and on the transcription of the cereulide synthetase gene cluster was investigated. Our data demonstrate that cereulide synthesis is independent of the B. cereus specific virulence regulator PlcR but belongs to the Spo0A-AbrB regulon. Although cereulide production turned out to be independent of sporulation, it required the activity of the sporulation factor Spo0A. The σ A-promoted transcription of spo0A was found to be crucial for cereulide production, while the σ H-driven transcription of spo0A did not affect cereulide synthesis. Overexpression of the transition state factor AbrB in B. cereus F4810/72 resulted in a non-toxic phenotype. Moreover, AbrB was shown to bind efficiently to the main promoter region of the ces operon, indicating that AbrB acts as a repressor of cereulide production by negatively affecting ces transcription.

Generation of multiple cell types in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is well known for its ability to differentiate into metabolically inactive spores that are highly resistant to environmental stresses. In fact, populations of genetically identical B. subtilis comprise numerous distinct cell types. In addition to spores, cells can become genetically competent, motile, produce extracellular matrix or degradative enzymes, or secrete toxins that allow them to cannibalize their neighbors. Many of the cell fates listed above appear to be mutually exclusive. In this review, we discuss how individual cells within a population control their gene expression to ensure that proper regulation of differentiation occurs. These different cell fates are regulated by an intricate network that relies primarily on the activity of three major transcriptional regulators: Spo0A, DegU, and ComK. While individual cells must choose distinct cell fates, the population as a whole exhibits a spectrum of phenotypes whose diversity may increase fitness.

Dual promoters control expression of the Bacillus anthracis virulence factor AtxA

The AtxA virulence regulator of Bacillus anthracis is required for toxin and capsule gene expression. AtxA is a phosphotransferase system regulatory domain-containing protein whose activity is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of conserved histidine residues. Here we report that transcription of the atxA gene occurs from two independent promoters, P1 (previously described by Dai et al. [Z. Dai, J. C. Sirard, M. Mock, and T. M. Koehler, Mol. Microbiol. 16:1171-1181, 1995]) and P2, whose transcription start sites are separated by 650 bp. Both promoters have -10 and -35 consensus sequences compatible with recognition by sigma(A)-containing RNA polymerase, and neither promoter depends on the sporulation sigma factor SigH. The dual promoter activity and the extended untranslated mRNA suggest that as-yet-unknown regulatory mechanisms may act on this region to influence the level of AtxA in the cell.

Bet-hedging and epigenetic inheritance in bacterial cell development

Upon nutritional limitation, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis has the capability to enter the irreversible process of sporulation. This developmental process is bistable, and only a subpopulation of cells actually differentiates into endospores. Why a cell decides to sporulate or not to do so is poorly understood. Here, through the use of time-lapse microscopy, we follow the growth, division, and differentiation of individual cells to identify elements of cell history and ancestry that could affect this decision process. These analyses show that during microcolony development, B. subtilis uses a bet-hedging strategy whereby some cells sporulate while others use alternative metabolites to continue growth, providing the latter subpopulation with a reproductive advantage. We demonstrate that B. subtilis is subject to aging. Nevertheless, the age of the cell plays no role in the decision of its fate. However, the physiological state of the cell's ancestor (more than two generations removed) does affect the outcome of cellular differentiation. We show that this epigenetic inheritance is based on positive feedback within the sporulation phosphorelay. The extended intergenerational "memory" caused by this autostimulatory network may be important for the development of multicellular structures such as fruiting bodies and biofilms.

Biofilm development with an emphasis on Bacillus subtilis

Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation has increased tremendously in recent years. From research on diverse bacteria, a general model of bacterial biofilm development has emerged. This model can be adjusted to fit either of two common modes of unicellular existence: nonmotile and motile. Here we provide a detailed review of what is currently known about biofilm formation by the motile bacterium Bacillus subtilis. While the ability of bacteria to form a biofilm appears to be almost universal and overarching themes apply, the combination of molecular events necessary varies widely, and this is reflected in the other chapters of this book.

Antirepression as a second mechanism of transcriptional activation by a minor groove binding protein

Competence for genetic transformation in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a bistable differentiation process governed by the minor groove DNA binding protein ComK. No detectable comK transcription occurs in the absence of an intact comK gene, indicating that ComK has auto-activating properties. ComK auto-stimulation, which is dependent on ComK binding to the comK promoter, is a critical step in competence development, ensuring quick and high-level expression of the late-competence genes. Auto-stimulation is also essential for the bistable expression pattern of competence. Here, we demonstrate that ComK acts as an activator at its own promoter by antagonizing the action of two repressors, Rok and CodY. Importantly, antirepression occurs without preventing binding of the repressing proteins, suggesting that ComK and the repressors might bind at distinct surfaces of the DNA helix. DegU, a DNA binding protein known to increase the affinity of ComK for its own promoter, potentiates the antirepression activity of ComK. We postulate that antirepression is primarily achieved through modulation of DNA topology. Although to our knowledge ComK is the only DNA binding protein shown to act in this novel fashion, other minor groove binding proteins may act similarly.

Novel methods for genetic transformation of natural Bacillus subtilis isolates used to study the regulation of the mycosubtilin and surfactin synthetases

Natural isolates of Bacillus subtilis are often difficult to transform due to their low genetic competence levels. Here we describe two methods that stimulate natural transformation. The first method uses plasmid pGSP12, which expresses the competence transcription factor ComK and stimulates competence development about 100-fold. The second method stimulates Campbell-type recombination of DNA ligation mixtures in B. subtilis by the addition of polyethylene glycol. We employed these novel methods to study the regulation of the synthetases for the lipopeptide antibiotics mycosubtilin (myc) and surfactin (srfA) in B. subtilis strain ATCC 6633. By means of lacZ reporter fusions, it was shown that the expression of srfA is >100 times lower in strain ATCC 6633 than in the laboratory strain B. subtilis 168. Expression of the myc operon was highest in rich medium, whereas srfA expression reached maximal levels in minimal medium. Further genetic analyses showed that the srfA operon is mainly regulated by the response regulator ComA, while the myc operon is primarily regulated by the transition-state regulator AbrB. Although there is in vitro evidence for a synergistic activity of mycosubtilin and surfactin, the expression of both lipopeptide antibiotics is clearly not coordinated.

The alternative sigma factor sigmaH is required for toxin gene expression by Bacillus anthracis

Expression of the structural genes for the anthrax toxin proteins is coordinately controlled by host-related signals, such as elevated CO(2), and the trans-acting positive regulator AtxA. In addition to these requirements, toxin gene expression is under growth phase regulation. The transition state regulator AbrB represses atxA expression to influence toxin synthesis. During the late exponential phase of growth, when AbrB levels begin to decrease, toxin synthesis increases. Here we report that toxin gene expression also requires the presence of sigH, a gene encoding the RNA polymerase sigma factor associated with development in Bacillus subtilis. In the well-studied B. subtilis system, sigma(H) is required for sporulation and other post-exponential-phase processes and is part of a feedback control pathway for abrB expression. Our data indicate that a Bacillus anthracis sigH-null mutant is asporogenous and toxin deficient. Yet the sigma factor is required for toxin gene expression in a manner that is independent of the pathway leading to post-exponential-phase gene expression. Sigma(H) positively controls atxA in an AbrB-independent manner. These findings, combined with previous observations, suggest that the steady-state level of atxA expression is critical for optimal toxin gene transcription. We propose a model whereby, under toxin-inducing growth conditions, control of toxin gene expression is fine-tuned by the independent effects of sigma(H) and AbrB on the expression of atxA.

Regulatory networks for virulence and persistence of Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is a Gram-positive sporulating bacterium. Its life-cycle can be divided schematically into two phases: multiplication in the mammalian host and persistence in the soil. A central regulator AtxA interferes with expression of more than 70 genes in vitro and an undefined number ex vivo. The exact molecular mechanism of action of AtxA is unknown, but the involvement of cascades of relay regulators has been described. Other regulators have also been implicated in the regulatory networks; these are mainly transition state regulators, which have been studied in other Bacillus species. They contribute to the regulation of expression of virulence- and persistence-factor genes, and to the regulation of atxA itself.

Genome engineering in Bacillus anthracis using Cre recombinase

Genome engineering is a powerful method for the study of bacterial virulence. With the availability of the complete genomic sequence of Bacillus anthracis, it is now possible to inactivate or delete selected genes of interest. However, many current methods for disrupting or deleting more than one gene require use of multiple antibiotic resistance determinants. In this report we used an approach that temporarily inserts an antibiotic resistance marker into a selected region of the genome and subsequently removes it, leaving the target region (a single gene or a larger genomic segment) permanently mutated. For this purpose, a spectinomycin resistance cassette flanked by bacteriophage P1 loxP sites oriented as direct repeats was inserted within a selected gene. After identification of strains having the spectinomycin cassette inserted by a double-crossover event, a thermo-sensitive plasmid expressing Cre recombinase was introduced at the permissive temperature. Cre recombinase action at the loxP sites excised the spectinomycin marker, leaving a single loxP site within the targeted gene or genomic segment. The Cre-expressing plasmid was then removed by growth at the restrictive temperature. The procedure could then be repeated to mutate additional genes. In this way, we sequentially mutated two pairs of genes: pepM and spo0A, and mcrB and mrr. Furthermore, loxP sites introduced at distant genes could be recombined by Cre recombinase to cause deletion of large intervening regions. In this way, we deleted the capBCAD region of the pXO2 plasmid and the entire 30 kb of chromosomal DNA between the mcrB and mrr genes, and in the latter case we found that the 32 intervening open reading frames were not essential to growth.

Beneficial biofilm formation by industrial bacteria Bacillus subtilis and related species

Biofilms are densely packed multicellular communities of microorganisms attached to a surface or interface. Bacteria seem to initiate biofilm formation in response to specific environmental cues, such as nutrient and oxygen availability. Biofilms undergo dynamic changes during their transition from free-living organisms to sessile biofilm cells, including the specific production of secondary metabolites and a significant increase in the resistivity to biological, chemical, and physical assaults. Bacillus subtilis is an industrially important bacterium exhibiting developmental stages. It forms rough biofilms at the air-liquid interface rather than on the surface of a solid phase in a liquid, due to the aerotaxis of the cells. Biofilm formation by B. subtilis and related species permits the control of infection caused by plant pathogens, the reduction of mild steel corrosion, and the exploration of novel compounds. Although it is obviously important to control harmful biofilm formation, the exploitation of beneficial biofilms formed by such industrial bacteria may lead to a new biotechnology.

Transcriptional program of early sporulation and stationary-phase events in Clostridium acetobutylicum

DNA microarray analysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum was used to examine the genomic-scale gene expression changes during the shift from exponential-phase growth and acidogenesis to stationary phase and solventogenesis. Self-organizing maps were used to identify novel expression patterns of functional gene classes, including aromatic and branched-chain amino acid synthesis, ribosomal proteins, cobalt and iron transporters, cobalamin biosynthesis, and lipid biosynthesis. The majority of pSOL1 megaplasmid genes (in addition to the solventogenic genes aad-ctfA-ctfB and adc) had increased expression at the onset of solventogenesis, suggesting that other megaplasmid genes may play a role in stationary-phase phenomena. Analysis of sporulation genes and comparison with published Bacillus subtilis results indicated conserved expression patterns of early sporulation genes, including spo0A, the sigF operon, and putative canonical genes of the sigma(H) and sigma(F) regulons. However, sigE expression could not be detected within 7.5 h of initial spo0A expression, consistent with the observed extended time between the appearance of clostridial forms and endospore formation. The results were compared with microarray comparisons of the wild-type strain and the nonsolventogenic, asporogenous M5 strain, which lacks the pSOL1 megaplasmid. While some results were similar, the expression of primary metabolism genes and heat shock proteins was higher in M5, suggesting a difference in metabolic regulation or a butyrate stress response in M5. The results of this microarray platform and analysis were further validated by comparing gene expression patterns to previously published Northern analyses, reporter assays, and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis data of metabolic genes (including all major solventogenesis genes), sporulation genes, heat shock proteins, and other solventogenesis-induced gene expression.

Evidence that entry into sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is governed by a gradual increase in the level and activity of the master regulator Spo0A

The transcription factor Spo0A is a master regulator for entry into sporulation in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, but it has been uncertain whether activation of Spo0A is sufficient to trigger development. Spo0A, a member of the response regulator family of gene-control proteins, is activated by phosphorylation via a multicomponent phosphorelay in response to conditions of nutrient limitation. We now report that sporulation can be triggered with high efficiency in cells in the exponential phase of growth in rich medium by artificial induction of the synthesis of any one of three histidine kinases that feed phosphoryl groups into the relay. We further show that the levels of Spo0A protein and activity increase gradually over the first 2 h of sporulation both under conditions of nutrient limitation and in response to induction of kinase synthesis. Evidence indicates that this gradual increase in Spo0A protein and activity plays a critical role in triggering sporulation and requires the action of the phosphorelay.