Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Bacillus subtilis str 3610 cells comparing sinR-/epsH- cells to sinR-/epsH-/remA- cells in MSgg Medium at optical density (600nm) of 1.0
Project description:Abstract of associated manuscript: Daptomycin is the first of a new class of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics used against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. The proposed mechanism of action involves disruption of the functional integrity of the bacterial membrane in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We have used transcriptional profiling to demonstrate that treatment of Bacillus subtilis with daptomycin strongly induces the lia operon including the autoregulatory LiaRS two-component system (homologous to Staphylococcus aureus VraSR). The lia operon protects against daptomycin and deletion of liaH, encoding a phage shock protein A (PspA)-like protein, leads to 3-fold increased susceptibility. Since daptomycin interacts with the membrane, we tested mutants with altered membrane composition for effects on susceptibility. Deletion mutations of mprF (lacking lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol) or des (lipid desaturase) increased daptomycin susceptibility, whereas overexpression of MprF decreased susceptibility. Conversely, depletion of the cell for the anionic lipid phosphatidylglycerol led to increased resistance. Fluorescently-labeled daptomycin localized to the septa and in a helical pattern around the cell envelope and was delocalized upon depletion of phosphatidylglycerol. Together, these results indicate that the daptomycin-Ca2+ complex interacts preferentially with regions enriched in anionic phospholipids and leads to membrane stresses that can be ameliorated by PspA family proteins.
Project description:Identification of the specific WalR (YycF) binding regions on the B. subtilis chromosome during exponential and phosphate starvation growth phases. The data serves to extend the WalRK regulon in Bacillus subtilis and its role in cell wall metabolism, as well as implying a role in several other cellular processes.
Project description:The general assumption is that when bacteria run out of nutrients they become dormant or form spores. Here we show, using a new technique, that under deep starvation conditions non-sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells do not become dormant but continue to grow. B. subtilis can form (endo)spores and this has been regarded as the principal mechanism through which it survives long periods of nutrient depletion. However, in this study we demonstrate that non-sporulating B. subtilis cells can survive deep starvation conditions for many months. During this period, cells adopt an almost coccoid shape and become tolerant to antibiotics and oxidative stress. Interestingly, these cells appeared to be metabolically active, and transcriptome analyses indicated that their gene-expression profile differs substantially from both stationary phase cells, and exponentially growing cells. Surprisingly, using an inhibitor for cell division, we discovered that these coccoid-like B. subtilis cells are not dormant but actually grow and divide, albeit with a doubling time of ~4 days. It emerged that secreted proteases, allowing acquisition of nutrients from lysed brethren, are essential for this growth mode. In fact, nutrient levels comparable to 10,000 times diluted LB (Lysogeny broth) appeared to be sufficient to sustain this growth. The very slow growth provides an alternative strategy for B. subtilis to survive nutrient depletion and environmental stresses. We propose to call this the oligotrophic growth state. This state might be common among bacterial species to survive deep starvation conditions.
Project description:Abstract of associated manuscript: Daptomycin is the first of a new class of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics used against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. The proposed mechanism of action involves disruption of the functional integrity of the bacterial membrane in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We have used transcriptional profiling to demonstrate that treatment of Bacillus subtilis with daptomycin strongly induces the lia operon including the autoregulatory LiaRS two-component system (homologous to Staphylococcus aureus VraSR). The lia operon protects against daptomycin and deletion of liaH, encoding a phage shock protein A (PspA)-like protein, leads to 3-fold increased susceptibility. Since daptomycin interacts with the membrane, we tested mutants with altered membrane composition for effects on susceptibility. Deletion mutations of mprF (lacking lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol) or des (lipid desaturase) increased daptomycin susceptibility, whereas overexpression of MprF decreased susceptibility. Conversely, depletion of the cell for the anionic lipid phosphatidylglycerol led to increased resistance. Fluorescently-labeled daptomycin localized to the septa and in a helical pattern around the cell envelope and was delocalized upon depletion of phosphatidylglycerol. Together, these results indicate that the daptomycin-Ca2+ complex interacts preferentially with regions enriched in anionic phospholipids and leads to membrane stresses that can be ameliorated by PspA family proteins. Bacillus subtilis W168, WT (+DAP) vs. WT (-DAP). The experiment was conducted in triplicate using three independent total RNA preparations. For WT-rep1 and WT-rep2, daptomycin treated samples were labeled with Alexa Fluor 647 and untreated samples with Alexa Fluor 555. For WT-rep3, the daptomycin treated sample was labeled with Alexa Fluor 555 and the untreated sample with Alexa Fluor 647.
Project description:Identification of the specific WalR (YycF) binding regions on the B. subtilis chromosome during exponential and phosphate starvation growth phases. The data serves to extend the WalRK regulon in Bacillus subtilis and its role in cell wall metabolism, as well as implying a role in several other cellular processes. For each sample analyzed in this study three biological replicates were performed. Three different samples were taken from a strain expressing the WalR-SPA protein as well as from wild-type (168) without a tagged WalR. Samples were taken from exponentially growing cells in low phosphate medium (LPDM) as well as from phosphate-limited cells (T2). Each sample compares ChIP DNA vs. Total DNA from the same cells.
Project description:Glycine betaine (GB) is a potent osmoprotectant for salt stressed Bacillus subtilis cells, which possess three high-affinity uptake systems for GB. OpuA is the dominant transporter for this compatible solute. Northern blot analysis, primer extension experiments and opuA-treA reporter gene fusion studies demonstrated that opuA expression is strongly induced at high osmolality from a single SigA-type promoter. Promoter mutations that improve the match of the opuA promoter to the consensus sequence substantially increase basal-level expression but reduce inducibility by high salinity. Expression of opuA is sensitively controlled by GB, which causes significant repression of opuA transcription at low and high salinity. GB influences the kinetics as well as the final level of high salinity induction of opuA in a concentration-dependent fashion. The repressing effect of GB on opuA transcription requires the intracellular presence of GB, regardless whether it is taken up via OpuA or other transporters or synthesized from choline. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of salt-stressed B. subtilis cells demonstrated that the repressive effect of GB targets only a subset of high-salinity induced genes. This group of GB-responsive genes comprises in essence the full set of genes with demonstrated functions in either the uptake or synthesis of compatible solutes.