Genetic competence

Parent categories	4. Lifestyles 4.1. Exponential and early post-exponential lifestyles
Neighbouring categories	4.1.1. Motility and chemotaxis 4.1.2. Swarming 4.1.3. Sliding 4.1.4. Biofilm formation 4.1.5. Genetic competence
Related categories	DNA repair/ recombination ComA regulon ComK regulon
Overview on the categories (Excel file) All genes and their categories (Excel file)

Parent categories	3. Information processing 3.1. Genetics
Neighbouring categories	3.1.1. DNA replication 3.1.2. DNA condensation/ segregation 3.1.3. DNA restriction/ modification 3.1.4. DNA repair/ recombination 3.1.5. Genetic competence 3.1.6. Genetics/ other
Related categories	DNA repair/ recombination ComA regulon ComK regulon
Overview on the categories (Excel file) All genes and their categories (Excel file)

• The wild type strain NCIB3610 is only poorly competent because the small protein ComI encoded on the endogenous plasmid pBS32 inhibits the competence DNA uptake machinery. PubMed

Labs working on genetic competence

• David Dubnau
• Oscar Kuipers

Genes in this functional category

• addA
• addB
• bdbC
• bdbD
• coiA
• comA
• comC
• comEA
• comEB
• comEC
• comER
• comFA
• comFB
• comFC
• comGA
• comGB
• comGC
• comGD
• comGE
• comGF
• comGG
• comK
• comN
• comP
• comQ
• comS
• comX
• comZ
• dprA
• kre
• maf
• mecA
• med
• nin
• nucA
• oppA
• oppB
• oppC
• oppD
• oppF
• phrC
• phrF
• phrK
• pnpA
• radC
• rapC
• rapD
• rapF
• rapK
• recA
• rok
• sbcC
• sbcD
• ssbB
• yidC2
• yvcJ

Important original publications

Hongguang Xi, Zhuoqin Yang, Marc Turcotte
Subtle interplay of stochasticity and deterministic dynamics pervades an evolutionary plausible genetic circuit for Bacillus subtilis competence.
Math Biosci: 2013, 246(1);148-63
[PubMed:24012503] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Melissa A Konkol, Kris M Blair, Daniel B Kearns
Plasmid-encoded ComI inhibits competence in the ancestral 3610 strain of Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2013, 195(18);4085-93
[PubMed:23836866] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Important reviews

Mareike Jakobs, Friedhelm Meinhardt
What renders Bacilli genetically competent? A gaze beyond the model organism.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol: 2015, 99(4);1557-70
[PubMed:25547840] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Hongguang Xi, Lixia Duan, Marc Turcotte
Point-cycle bistability and stochasticity in a regulatory circuit for Bacillus subtilis competence.
Math Biosci: 2013, 244(2);135-47
[PubMed:23693123] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Mainak Pal, Amit Kumar Pal, Sayantari Ghosh, Indrani Bose
Early signatures of regime shifts in gene expression dynamics.
Phys Biol: 2013, 10(3);036010
[PubMed:23669271] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Lorena Espinar, Marta Dies, Tolga Cagatay, Gürol M Süel, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo
Circuit-level input integration in bacterial gene regulation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 2013, 110(17);7091-6
[PubMed:23572583] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Suzy M Stiegelmeyer, Morgan C Giddings
Agent-based modeling of competence phenotype switching in Bacillus subtilis.
Theor Biol Med Model: 2013, 10;23
[PubMed:23551850] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Dawit Kidane, Silvia Ayora, Joann B Sweasy, Peter L Graumann, Juan C Alonso
The cell pole: the site of cross talk between the DNA uptake and genetic recombination machinery.
Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol: 2012, 47(6);531-55
[PubMed:23046409] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Anna Kuchina, Lorena Espinar, Tolga Çağatay, Alejandro O Balbin, Fang Zhang, Alma Alvarado, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo, Gürol M Süel
Temporal competition between differentiation programs determines cell fate choice.
Mol Syst Biol: 2011, 7;557
[PubMed:22146301] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Daniel Schultz, Peter G Wolynes, Eshel Ben Jacob, José N Onuchic
Deciding fate in adverse times: sporulation and competence in Bacillus subtilis.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 2009, 106(50);21027-34
[PubMed:19995980] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Jean-Pierre Claverys, Bernard Martin, Patrice Polard
The genetic transformation machinery: composition, localization, and mechanism.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2009, 33(3);643-56
[PubMed:19228200] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Inês Chen, David Dubnau
DNA uptake during bacterial transformation.
Nat Rev Microbiol: 2004, 2(3);241-9
[PubMed:15083159] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Leendert W Hamoen, Gerard Venema, Oscar P Kuipers
Controlling competence in Bacillus subtilis: shared use of regulators.
Microbiology (Reading): 2003, 149(Pt 1);9-17
[PubMed:12576575] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P Tortosa, D Dubnau
Competence for transformation: a matter of taste.
Curr Opin Microbiol: 1999, 2(6);588-92
[PubMed:10607621] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

D Dubnau
Binding and transport of transforming DNA by Bacillus subtilis: the role of type-IV pilin-like proteins--a review.
Gene: 1997, 192(1);191-8
[PubMed:9224890] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

D Dubnau
Genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis.
Microbiol Rev: 1991, 55(3);395-424
[PubMed:1943994] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)