Unravelling the genetic basis for competence development of auxotrophic Bacillus licheniformis 9945A strains

Author:

Jakobs Mareike1,Hoffmann Kerstin1,Grabke Anja1,Neuber Stefania2,Liesegang Heiko2,Volland Sonja2,Meinhardt Friedhelm1

Affiliation:

1. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Corrensstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany

2. Georg-August-University Goettingen, Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Goettingen Genomics Laboratory, Grisebachstrasse 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Abstract

Bacterial natural genetic competence – well studied in Bacillus subtilis – enables cells to take up and integrate extracellularly supplied DNA into their own genome. However, little is known about competence development and its regulation in other members of the genus, although DNA uptake machineries are routinely encoded. Auxotrophic Bacillus licheniformis 9945A derivatives, obtained from repeated rounds of random mutagenesis, were long known to develop natural competence. Inspection of the colony morphology and extracellular enzyme secretion of two of these derivatives, M28 and M18, suggested that regulator genes are collaterally hit. M28 emerged as a 14 bp deletion mutant concomitantly displaying a shift in the reading frame of degS that encodes the sensor histidine kinase, which is part of the molecular switch that directs cells to genetic competence, the synthesis of extracellular enzymes or biofilm formation, while for M18, sequencing of the suspected gene revealed a 375 bp deletion in abrB, encoding the major transition state regulator. With respect to colony morphology, enzyme secretion and competence development, both of the mutations, when newly generated on the wild-type B. licheniformis 9945A genetic background, resulted in phenotypes resembling M28 and M18, respectively. All of the known naturally competent B. licheniformis representatives, hitherto thoroughly investigated in this regard, carry mutations in regulator genes, and hence genetic competence observed in domesticated strains supposedly results from deregulation.

Funder

Graduate School of Renewable Resources of the Westfälische-Wilhelms-Universität Münster

BMBF

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

Publisher

Microbiology Society

Subject

Microbiology

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