Distinct Roles of ComK1 and ComK2 in Gene Regulation in Bacillus Cereus

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2011 Jul 13

PMID 21747963

Citations 3

Authors

Aleksandra M Mironczuk

Amagoia Manu

Oscar P Kuipers

Akos T Kovacs

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The B. subtilis transcriptional factor ComK regulates a set of genes coding for DNA uptake from the environment and for its integration into the genome. In previous work we showed that Bacillus cereus expressing the B. subtilis ComK protein is able to take up DNA and integrate it into its own genome. To extend our knowledge on the effect of B. subtilis ComK overexpression in B. cereus we first determined which genes are significantly altered. Transcriptome analysis showed that only part of the competence gene cluster is significantly upregulated. Two ComK homologues can be identified in B. cereus that differ in their respective homologies to other ComK proteins. ComK1 is most similar, while ComK2 lacks the C-terminal region previously shown to be important for transcription activation by B. subtilis ComK. comK1 and comK2 overexpression and deletion studies using transcriptomics techniques showed that ComK1 enhances and ComK2 decreases expression of the comG operon, when B. subtilis ComK was overexpressed simultaneously.

Citing Articles

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