Temperature-sensitive sporulation caused by a mutation in the Bacillus subtilis secY gene

Genetic analysis of SecA-SecY interaction required for spore development in Bacillus subtilis

All spontaneous suppressor mutations obtained from a secA12 sporulation-defective mutant in Bacillus subtilis were localized in highly conserved membrane-spanning regions of SecY. The expression of early sporulation genes, kinA and spo0A encoding a histidine kinase and a transcription regulator for several sporulation genes, respectively, was restored in these suppressor mutants. These results indicate that the secretion function of translocase combined with Sec proteins is required for sporulation in B. subtilis.

Modulation of the spc operon affects growth and protein secretion in Bacillus subtilis

A proximal segment of B. subtilis secY gene was placed under the control of the inducible spac promoter/Lac repressor system. This fusion was integrated into the chromosomal spc operon of B. subtilis via Campbell-like reciprocal recombination. The growth of the resulting strain was strongly IPTG dependent. With staphylokinase and alpha-amylase as reporter proteins it was found, that the protein secretion capacity of this strain was correlated to the conditions of repression or induction of the chromosomal spac promoter.