Timing and genetic regulation of commitment to sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK ABSTRACT Summary: Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is a simple developmental system involving the differentiation of two cell types called the prespore and the mother cell. The process is induced by nutr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) 1996-12, Vol.142 (12), p.3445-3452
Main Authors: Parker, George F, Daniel, Richard A, Errington, Jeffery
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacillus subtilis - genetics
Bacillus subtilis - metabolism
Bacillus subtilis - physiology
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - metabolism
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Culture Media
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes, Bacterial
Growth, nutrition, cell differenciation
Microbiology
Muramidase - metabolism
Mutation
Sigma Factor - metabolism
Spores, Bacterial - genetics
Spores, Bacterial - metabolism
Time Factors
Transcription Factors - metabolism
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Summary:Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK ABSTRACT Summary: Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is a simple developmental system involving the differentiation of two cell types called the prespore and the mother cell. The process is induced by nutrient deprivation and culminates with the formation of a mature spore, which is released by lysis of the mother cell. We have studied commitment to sporulation with several different assays. The results indicate that commitment occurs soon after the formation of the asymmetrically positioned division septum that separates the prespore and the mother cell. This is earlier than the previously postulated point of commitment, prespore engulfment by the mother cell. Commitment coincides approximately with activation of the early prespore- and mother-cell-specific sigma factors, E and F . Author for correspondence: Jeffery Errington. Tel: +44 1865 275561. Fax: +44 1865 275556. e-mail: erring@molbiol.ox.ac.uk Keywords: sporulation, Bacillus subtilis, , sigma factors, commitment, development Present address: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK.
ISSN:1350-0872
1465-2080
DOI:10.1099/13500872-142-12-3445