The spoIIE locus is involved in the Spo0A-dependent switch in the location of FtsZ rings in Bacillus subtilis - PubMed (original) (raw)

The spoIIE locus is involved in the Spo0A-dependent switch in the location of FtsZ rings in Bacillus subtilis

A Khvorova et al. J Bacteriol. 1998 Mar.

Abstract

A switch in the location of FtsZ ring structures from medial to polar is one of the earliest morphological indicators of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. This switch can be artificially caused during vegetative growth by induction of an active form, Sad67, of the transcription regulator, Spo0A (P. A. Levin and R. Losick, Genes Dev. 10:478-488, 1996). We have used immunofluorescence microscopy to show that the switch in FtsZ ring location during vegetative growth caused by Sad67 induction is blocked by a spoIIE deletion mutation. The spoIIE mutation also impaired polar FtsZ ring formation during sporulation. These results suggest that SpoIIE mediates the Spo0A-directed formation of polar FtsZ rings.

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Figures

FIG. 1

FIG. 1

Immunolocalization of FtsZ. Scale bar, 1 μm. The photographs are of cells immunostained with affinity-purified antibodies against the B. subtilis FtsZ protein (A, C, E, and F) and viewed by phase-contrast microscopy with a yellow filter (B and D). A secondary antibody conjugated to the red fluorophore Cy3 was used to visualize FtsZ. Localization of FtsZ in the strains containing Pspac-sad-67 1 h after IPTG addition during vegetative growth in spoIIE+ (SL7260) (A and B [arrows indicate polar FtsZ bands]) and spoIIE::neo (SL7261) (C and D [arrow indicates a medial FtsZ band]) backgrounds. FtsZ localization in the strain containing Pspac-spoIIE without (E [arrow indicates a medial FtsZ band]) and 30 min after (F [arrows indicate medial and polar FtsZ bands within a single cell]) IPTG addition.

FIG. 2

FIG. 2

The position of FtsZ bands under sporulation conditions of a spo+ strain and a spoIIE mutant. Bacteria were grown in MSSM. The start of sporulation was defined as the end of exponential growth. The pattern of FtsZ localization was visualized with immunofluorescence microscopy. Results are expressed as percentages of all cells. Open symbols, cells with medial FtsZ bands; closed symbols, cells with polar bands (bipolar or unipolar); squares, spo+ strain (BR151); circles, the isogenic spoIIE::neo strain (SL7240).

FIG. 3

FIG. 3

Schematic representation of the paths leading to polar FtsZ ring formation in B. subtilis. Spo0A-P is the active, phosphorylated form of Spo0A that is made at the start of sporulation. The Sad67 mutant form of Spo0A is active without phosphorylation and can substitute for Spo0A-P. The major path from active Spo0A is via SpoIIE. A minor SpoIIE-independent pathway can also function under sporulation conditions.

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