Nucleoid‐associated Rok differentially affects chromosomal transformation on Bacillus subtilis recombination‐deficient cells

Serrano, E. , Torres, R. and Alonso, J. C. (2021) Nucleoid‐associated Rok differentially affects chromosomal transformation on Bacillus subtilis recombination‐deficient cells. Environmental Microbiology, 23(6), pp. 3318-3331. (doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15562) (PMID:33973337)

Abstract

Rok, a Bacillus subtilis nucleoid-associated protein (NAP), negatively regulates competence development and silences xenogeneic genes. We show that rok inactivation increases rpoB482 natural intraspecies chromosomal transformation (CT) and plasmid transformation to a different extent. In ΔaddAB, ΔrecO, recF15, ΔrecU, ΔruvAB or rec+ cells intraspecies CT significantly increases, but the ΔrecD2 mutation reduces, and the ΔrecX, ΔradA or ΔdprA mutation further decreases CT in the Δrok context when compared to rok+ cells. These observations support the idea that rok inactivation, by altering the topology of the recipient DNA, differentially affects the integration of homologous DNA in rec-deficient strains, and in minor extent the competent subpopulation size. The impairment of other NAP (Hbsu or LrpC) also increased intra- and interspecies CT (nonself-DNA, ~8% nucleotide sequence divergence) in rec+ cells, but differentially reduced both types of CTs in certain rec-deficient strains. We describe that rok inactivation significantly stimulates intra and interspecies CT but differentially reduces them in transformation-deficient cells, perhaps by altering the nucleoid architecture. We extend the observation to other NAPs (Hbsu, LrpC).

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: E.S. thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MCIU/AEI, BES-2013-063433) for the fellowship. This work was supported by MCIU/AEI/FEDER, EU PGC2018-097054-B-I00 to J.C.A.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Serrano, Dr Ester
• Authors: Serrano, E., Torres, R., and Alonso, J. C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Journal Name: Environmental Microbiology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1462-2912
• ISSN (Online): 1462-2920
• Published Online: 10 May 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Environmental Microbiology 23(6):3318-3331
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license