Chemotactic methylation and behavior in Bacillus subtilis: role of two unique proteins, CheC and CheD. Biochemistry 1995 Mar 21;34(11):3823-31
Date
03/21/1995Pubmed ID
7893679DOI
10.1021/bi00011a040Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0028937662 53 CitationsAbstract
We characterized mutants in two novel genes of Bacillus subtilis, cheC and cheD. Mutants in CheC had a high smooth swimming bias and exhibited poor adaptation to positive stimuli. Analysis of tethered cells revealed two distinct subpopulations which differ in their prestimulus bias and extent of adaptation. The receptors, the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), of this mutant strain were overmethylated, as a result of an increase in CheR activity. We speculate that CheC helps to control tumbling frequency by regulating CheR, perhaps by a feedback mechanism through the MCPs. In contrast, a cheD mutant exhibited very tumbly behavior, and many of the MCPs were unmethylated. It seems that some B. subtilis MCPs require the presence of CheD for CheR to methylate them, a unique feature of B. subtilis chemotaxis. It is hypothesized that CheD is part of a complex that facilitates methylation of some of the MCPs, and dissociation of CheD from this complex affects CheA activity and may help bring about adaptation.
Author List
Rosario MM, Kirby JR, Bochar DA, Ordal GWAuthor
John Kirby PhD Chair, Center Associate Director, Professor in the Microbiology and Immunology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Bacillus subtilisBacterial Proteins
Chemotaxis
Cloning, Molecular
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli Proteins
Genetic Complementation Test
Histidine Kinase
Membrane Proteins
Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins
Methylation
Methyltransferases
Mutation
