Red light activates the σB-mediated general stress response of Bacillus subtilis via the energy branch of the upstream signaling cascade
article
The σB-dependent general stress response in the common soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis can be elicited by a range of stress factors, such as starvation or an ethanol, salt, or heat shock, via a complex upstream signaling cascade. Additionally, σ<sup>B</sup> can be activated by blue light via the phototropin homologue YtvA, a component of the environmental branch of the signaling cascade. Here we use a reporter-gene fusion to show that σ<sup>B</sup> can also be activated by red light via the energy branch of its upstream signaling cascade. Deletion mutagenesis and homologous overproduction experiments indicate that the RsbP protein (composed of an N-terminal Per-ARNT-Sim [PAS] domain and a C-terminal PP2C-type phosphatase domain) is involved in the red light response. This second light input pathway functions complementarily to YtvA; it shows broader spectral sensitivity but requires higher light intensities. These results are confirmed by transcriptome analyses, which show that both light effects result in upregulation of the σ<sup>B</sup> regulon, with minimal activation of other responses. Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
TNO Identifier
281698
ISSN
00219193
Source
Journal of Bacteriology, 192(3), pp. 755-762.
Pages
755-762
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