DegU

• Description: two-component response regulator, regulation of degradative enzyme and genetic competence, involved in activation of capsule biosynthetic operon expression (together with SwrAA), non-phosphorylated DegU is required for swarming motility PubMed
  
  

Gene name	degU
Synonyms	sacU, iep
Essential	no
Product	two-component response regulator
Function	regulation of degradative enzyme and genetic competence of genetic competence
MW, pI	25 kDa, 5.602
Gene length, protein length	687 bp, 229 aa
Immediate neighbours	yviA, degS
Get the DNA and protein sequences (Barbe et al., 2009)
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU35490

Database entries

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity: transcription activator of degradative enzyme genes (sacB and degQ) and of comK expression

• Protein family:

• Paralogous protein(s):

Genes controlled by DegU

• Activation by DegU-P: degS-degU, capB-capC-capA-ywtC PubMed

• Activation by DegU: epr PubMed

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification: phosphorylated by DegS on Asp-56 PubMed, this modulates DNA-binding activity

• Cofactor(s):

• Effectors of protein activity: DNA-binding activity of DegU is inhibited by RapG PubMed

• Interactions: DegU-RapG PubMed, DegS-DegU

• Localization: cytoplasm (according to Swiss-Prot)

Database entries

• Structure:

• UniProt: P13800

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon:
  • degS-degU PubMed
  • degU PubMed

• Sigma factor:
  • degS: SigA PubMed
  • degU: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:
  • induced in the presence of ammonium (TnrA) PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • DegU: positive autoregulation PubMed
  • TnrA: transcription repression PubMed

• Additional information:

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)

Original Publications

Taku Ohsawa, Kensuke Tsukahara, Mitsuo Ogura
Bacillus subtilis response regulator DegU is a direct activator of pgsB transcription involved in gamma-poly-glutamic acid synthesis.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem: 2009, 73(9);2096-102
[PubMed:19734658] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Keitarou Kimura, Lam-Son Phan Tran, Thi-Huyen Do, Yoshifumi Itoh
Expression of the pgsB encoding the poly-gamma-DL-glutamate synthetase of Bacillus subtilis (natto).
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem: 2009, 73(5);1149-55
[PubMed:19420703] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Monica Gupta, Kestur Krishnamurthy Rao
Epr plays a key role in DegU-mediated swarming motility of Bacillus subtilis.
FEMS Microbiol Lett: 2009, 295(2);187-94
[PubMed:19416356] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Cecilia Osera, Giuseppe Amati, Cinzia Calvio, Alessandro Galizzi
SwrAA activates poly-gamma-glutamate synthesis in addition to swarming in Bacillus subtilis.
Microbiology (Reading): 2009, 155(Pt 7);2282-2287
[PubMed:19389763] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Ewan J Murray, Taryn B Kiley, Nicola R Stanley-Wall
A pivotal role for the response regulator DegU in controlling multicellular behaviour.
Microbiology (Reading): 2009, 155(Pt 1);1-8
[PubMed:19118340] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Ayako Yasumura, Sadanobu Abe, Teruo Tanaka
Involvement of nitrogen regulation in Bacillus subtilis degU expression.
J Bacteriol: 2008, 190(15);5162-71
[PubMed:18502860] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Jan-Willem Veening, Oleg A Igoshin, Robyn T Eijlander, Reindert Nijland, Leendert W Hamoen, Oscar P Kuipers
Transient heterogeneity in extracellular protease production by Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Syst Biol: 2008, 4;184
[PubMed:18414485] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Kensuke Tsukahara, Mitsuo Ogura
Characterization of DegU-dependent expression of bpr in Bacillus subtilis.
FEMS Microbiol Lett: 2008, 280(1);8-13
[PubMed:18194340] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Kazuo Kobayashi
Gradual activation of the response regulator DegU controls serial expression of genes for flagellum formation and biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2007, 66(2);395-409
[PubMed:17850253] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Leif Steil, Tamara Hoffmann, Ina Budde, Uwe Völker, Erhard Bremer
Genome-wide transcriptional profiling analysis of adaptation of Bacillus subtilis to high salinity.
J Bacteriol: 2003, 185(21);6358-70
[PubMed:14563871] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

U Mäder, H Antelmann, T Buder, M K Dahl, M Hecker, G Homuth
Bacillus subtilis functional genomics: genome-wide analysis of the DegS-DegU regulon by transcriptomics and proteomics.
Mol Genet Genomics: 2002, 268(4);455-67
[PubMed:12471443] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

L W Hamoen, A F Van Werkhoven, G Venema, D Dubnau
The pleiotropic response regulator DegU functions as a priming protein in competence development in Bacillus subtilis.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 2000, 97(16);9246-51
[PubMed:10908654] [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)

J Hahn, A Luttinger, D Dubnau
Regulatory inputs for the synthesis of ComK, the competence transcription factor of Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 1996, 21(4);763-75
[PubMed:8878039] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

B J Haijema, L W Hamoen, J Kooistra, G Venema, D van Sinderen
Expression of the ATP-dependent deoxyribonuclease of Bacillus subtilis is under competence-mediated control.
Mol Microbiol: 1995, 15(2);203-11
[PubMed:7746142] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

K Mukai, M Kawata-Mukai, T Tanaka
Stabilization of phosphorylated Bacillus subtilis DegU by DegR.
J Bacteriol: 1992, 174(24);7954-62
[PubMed:1459944] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M K Dahl, T Msadek, F Kunst, G Rapoport
The phosphorylation state of the DegU response regulator acts as a molecular switch allowing either degradative enzyme synthesis or expression of genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis.
J Biol Chem: 1992, 267(20);14509-14
[PubMed:1321152] [WorldCat.org] (P p)

M K Dahl, T Msadek, F Kunst, G Rapoport
Mutational analysis of the Bacillus subtilis DegU regulator and its phosphorylation by the DegS protein kinase.
J Bacteriol: 1991, 173(8);2539-47
[PubMed:1901568] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

T Msadek, F Kunst, D Henner, A Klier, G Rapoport, R Dedonder
Signal transduction pathway controlling synthesis of a class of degradative enzymes in Bacillus subtilis: expression of the regulatory genes and analysis of mutations in degS and degU.
J Bacteriol: 1990, 172(2);824-34
[PubMed:1688843] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

H Shimotsu, D J Henner
Modulation of Bacillus subtilis levansucrase gene expression by sucrose and regulation of the steady-state mRNA level by sacU and sacQ genes.
J Bacteriol: 1986, 168(1);380-8
[PubMed:2428811] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)