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

• DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.079236-0
• Publication Date: 2014-07-10T05:09:37Z
• Authors: Mareike Jakobs; Kerstin Hoffmann; Anja Grabke; Stefania Neuber; Heiko Liesegang; Sonja Volland; Friedhelm Meinhardt
• Keywords: Bacillus licheniformis; Auxotrophy

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