Precise deletion of tagD and controlled depletion of its product, glycerol 3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, leads to irregular morphology and lysis of Bacillus subtilis grown at physiological temperature

J Bacteriol. 2001 Nov;183(22):6688-93. doi: 10.1128/JB.183.22.6688-6693.2001.

Abstract

Using a previously reported conditional expression system for use in Bacillus subtilis (A. P. Bhavsar, X. Zhao, and E. D. Brown, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:403-410, 2001), we report the first precise deletion of a teichoic acid biosynthesis (tag) gene, tagD, in B. subtilis. This teichoic acid mutant showed a lethal phenotype when characterized at a physiological temperature and in a defined genetic background. This tagD mutant was subject to full phenotypic rescue upon expression of the complementing copy of tagD. Depletion of the tagD gene product (glycerol 3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase) via modulated expression of tagD from the amyE locus revealed structural defects centered on shape, septation, and division. Thickening of the wall and ultimately lysis followed these events.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis / cytology
  • Bacillus subtilis / genetics
  • Bacillus subtilis / physiology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Wall
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Peroxidases*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Peroxidases
  • TagD protein, Vibrio cholerae
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • glycerol-3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase