New beta-glucoside (bgl) genes in Bacillus subtilis: the bglP gene product has both transport and regulatory functions similar to those of BglF, its Escherichia coli homolog

J Bacteriol. 1995 Mar;177(6):1527-35. doi: 10.1128/jb.177.6.1527-1535.1995.

Abstract

The Bacillus subtilis sacY and sacT genes encode antiterminator proteins, similar to the Escherichia coli bglG gene product and required for transcription of sucrose metabolism genes. A Tn10 insertion into bglP (formerly sytA) has been previously identified as restoring sucrose utilization to a strain with deletions of both sacY and sacT. The nucleotide sequence of bglP showed a high degree of homology with the E. coli bglF gene (BglF is a beta-glucoside permease of the phosphotransferase system and also acts as a negative regulator of the BglG antiterminator). Complementation studies of an E. coli strain with a deletion of the bgl operon showed that BglP was a functional beta-glucoside permease. In B. subtilis, bglP complemented in trans both the bglP::Tn10 original insertion and a phenotypically similar bglP deletion. Disruption of licT abolished the suppressor phenotype in a bglP mutant. LicT is a recently identified third B. subtilis antiterminator of the BglG/SacY family. These observations indicated that BglP was also a negative regulator of LicT. Both LicT and BglP seem to be involved in the induction by beta-glucosides of an operon containing at least two genes, bglP itself and bglH, encoding a phospho-beta-glucosidase. Other beta-glucoside genes homologous to bglP and bglH have been recently described in B. subtilis. Thus, B. subtilis possesses several sets of beta-glucoside genes, like E. coli, but these genes do not appear to be cryptic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacillus subtilis / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Transport
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Genes, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Genes, Regulator / genetics
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Glucosidases / genetics
  • Glucosides / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / genetics*
  • Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Restriction Mapping
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Suppression, Genetic
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Glucosides
  • Phosphoenolpyruvate Sugar Phosphotransferase System
  • phosphoenolpyruvate-glucose phosphotransferase
  • Glucosidases
  • 6-phospho-beta-glucosidase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/X85408
  • GENBANK/Z34526