ComA

• Description: two-component system response regulator, controls gene expression in response to cell density (concentration of ComX)
  
  

Gene name	comA
Synonyms	srfB, comAA
Essential	no
Product	two-component system response regulator
Function	regulation of genetic competence and quorum sensing
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: comA
Interactions involving this protein in SubtInteract: ComA
MW, pI	23 kDa, 4.759
Gene length, protein length	642 bp, 214 aa
Immediate neighbours	yuxO, comP
Sequences	Protein DNA DNA_with_flanks
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList
Expression at a glance   PubMed

Categories containing this gene/protein

genetic competence, transcription factors and their control, quorum sensing, phosphoproteins

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU31680

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU31680

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:

• Protein family: ComA family (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification: phosphorylated by ComP on an Asp residue

• Cofactors:

• Effectors of protein activity:
  • phosphorylation activates DNA binding
  • DNA-binding activity of ComA is inhibited by RapC PubMed, RapD PubMed, RapF PubMed, RapH PubMed and RapK PubMed

• Interactions:
  • RapC-ComA PubMed
  • RapF-ComA PubMed
  • RapH-ComA PubMed
  • ComP-ComA

• Localization: cytoplasm (according to Swiss-Prot)

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU31680

• Structure:
  • 1U83
  • 3ULQ (structure of the complex between the DNA-binding C-terminal domain of ComA with RapF) PubMed

• UniProt: P14204

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number: 4.4.1.19

Expression and regulation

• Operon: comA-yuxO PubMed

• Expression browser: comA PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:

• Regulatory mechanism:

• Additional information:
  • number of protein molecules per cell (minimal medium with glucose and ammonium): 320 PubMed
  • number of protein molecules per cell (complex medium with amino acids, without glucose): 623 PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

References

Reviews

Daniel López, Roberto Kolter
Extracellular signals that define distinct and coexisting cell fates in Bacillus subtilis.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2010, 34(2);134-49
[PubMed:20030732] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I 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)

Original Publications

Anna Oslizlo, Polonca Stefanic, Iztok Dogsa, Ines Mandic-Mulec
Private link between signal and response in Bacillus subtilis quorum sensing.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 2014, 111(4);1586-91
[PubMed:24425772] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Xidan Deng, Yunxia Tian, Qiuhong Niu, Xiao'e Xu, Hui Shi, Hanbo Zhang, Lianming Liang, Keqin Zhang, Xiaowei Huang
The ComP-ComA quorum system is essential for "Trojan horse" like pathogenesis in Bacillus nematocida.
PLoS One: 2013, 8(10);e76920
[PubMed:24130811] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Melinda D Baker, Matthew B Neiditch
Structural basis of response regulator inhibition by a bacterial anti-activator protein.
PLoS Biol: 2011, 9(12);e1001226
[PubMed:22215984] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Carey A Hobbs, Benjamin G Bobay, Richele J Thompson, Marta Perego, John Cavanagh
NMR solution structure and DNA-binding model of the DNA-binding domain of competence protein A.
J Mol Biol: 2010, 398(2);248-63
[PubMed:20302877] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Xiaoyu Wang, Chuping Luo, Youzhou Liu, Yafeng Nie, Yongfeng Liu, Rongsheng Zhang, Zhiyi Chen
Three non-aspartate amino acid mutations in the ComA Response regulator receiver motif severely decrease surfactin production, competence development and spore formation in Bacillus subtilis.
J Microbiol Biotechnol: 2010, 20(2);301-10
[PubMed:20208433] [WorldCat.org] (P p)

Kassem Hamze, Daria Julkowska, Sabine Autret, Krzysztof Hinc, Krzysztofa Nagorska, Agnieszka Sekowska, I Barry Holland, Simone J Séror
Identification of genes required for different stages of dendritic swarming in Bacillus subtilis, with a novel role for phrC.
Microbiology (Reading): 2009, 155(Pt 2);398-412
[PubMed:19202088] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Wiep Klaas Smits, Cristina Bongiorni, Jan-Willem Veening, Leendert W Hamoen, Oscar P Kuipers, Marta Perego
Temporal separation of distinct differentiation pathways by a dual specificity Rap-Phr system in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2007, 65(1);103-20
[PubMed:17581123] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Mitsuo Ogura, Yasutaro Fujita
Bacillus subtilis rapD, a direct target of transcription repression by RghR, negatively regulates srfA expression.
FEMS Microbiol Lett: 2007, 268(1);73-80
[PubMed:17227471] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Jennifer M Auchtung, Catherine A Lee, Alan D Grossman
Modulation of the ComA-dependent quorum response in Bacillus subtilis by multiple Rap proteins and Phr peptides.
J Bacteriol: 2006, 188(14);5273-85
[PubMed:16816200] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Cristina Bongiorni, Shu Ishikawa, Sophie Stephenson, Naotake Ogasawara, Marta Perego
Synergistic regulation of competence development in Bacillus subtilis by two Rap-Phr systems.
J Bacteriol: 2005, 187(13);4353-61
[PubMed:15968044] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Leighton Core, Marta Perego
TPR-mediated interaction of RapC with ComA inhibits response regulator-DNA binding for competence development in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2003, 49(6);1509-22
[PubMed:12950917] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Huang-Mo Sung, Ronald E Yasbin
Adaptive, or stationary-phase, mutagenesis, a component of bacterial differentiation in Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2002, 184(20);5641-53
[PubMed:12270822] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Mireille Ansaldi, Darja Marolt, Tina Stebe, Ines Mandic-Mulec, David Dubnau
Specific activation of the Bacillus quorum-sensing systems by isoprenylated pheromone variants.
Mol Microbiol: 2002, 44(6);1561-73
[PubMed:12067344] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

A Yazgan, G Ozcengiz, M A Marahiel
Tn10 insertional mutations of Bacillus subtilis that block the biosynthesis of bacilysin.
Biochim Biophys Acta: 2001, 1518(1-2);87-94
[PubMed:11267663] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P Tortosa, L Logsdon, B Kraigher, Y Itoh, I Mandic-Mulec, D Dubnau
Specificity and genetic polymorphism of the Bacillus competence quorum-sensing system.
J Bacteriol: 2001, 183(2);451-60
[PubMed:11133937] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M Persuh, K Turgay, I Mandic-Mulec, D Dubnau
The N- and C-terminal domains of MecA recognize different partners in the competence molecular switch.
Mol Microbiol: 1999, 33(4);886-94
[PubMed:10447896] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

C Fabret, V A Feher, J A Hoch
Two-component signal transduction in Bacillus subtilis: how one organism sees its world.
J Bacteriol: 1999, 181(7);1975-83
[PubMed:10094672] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M Perego, J A Hoch
Cell-cell communication regulates the effects of protein aspartate phosphatases on the phosphorelay controlling development in Bacillus subtilis.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 1996, 93(4);1549-53
[PubMed:8643670] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M Roggiani, D Dubnau
ComA, a phosphorylated response regulator protein of Bacillus subtilis, binds to the promoter region of srfA.
J Bacteriol: 1993, 175(10);3182-7
[PubMed:8387999] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Y Weinrauch, R Penchev, E Dubnau, I Smith, D Dubnau
A Bacillus subtilis regulatory gene product for genetic competence and sporulation resembles sensor protein members of the bacterial two-component signal-transduction systems.
Genes Dev: 1990, 4(5);860-72
[PubMed:2116363] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Y Weinrauch, N Guillen, D A Dubnau
Sequence and transcription mapping of Bacillus subtilis competence genes comB and comA, one of which is related to a family of bacterial regulatory determinants.
J Bacteriol: 1989, 171(10);5362-75
[PubMed:2507523] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)