cis-Unsaturated fatty acids specifically inhibit a signal-transducing protein kinase required for initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis
Mark A. Strauch
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Search for more papers by this authorDiego de Mendoza
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Departmento de Microbiologia, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Republica Argentina.
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
James A. Hoch
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
*Tel. (619) 554 8011; Fax (619) 554 6614.Search for more papers by this authorMark A. Strauch
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Search for more papers by this authorDiego de Mendoza
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Departmento de Microbiologia, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Republica Argentina.
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
James A. Hoch
Division of Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
*Tel. (619) 554 8011; Fax (619) 554 6614.Search for more papers by this authorSummary
The initiation of sporutation in Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the Spo0A transcription factor which is activated by phosphorylation through a phosphorelay mechanism that is dependent upon the activity of one or more protein kinases. The enzymatic activity of one of these protein kinases, KinA, was found to be inhibited in vitro by certain fatty acids. The most potent inhibitors have at least one unsaturated double bond in the cis configuration and a chain length of 16–20 carbon atoms. Homologous isomers with a trans double bond are not inhibitory. Saturated straight- or branched-chain fatty acids are either much weaker inhibitors or have no effect. The inhibitors prevent autophosphorylation of KinA and are non-competitive with ATP. B. subtilis phospholipids were found to contain at least one as yet unidentified type of fatty acid that, when present in an unesterified form, inhibited KinA. The results suggest that the concentration of a specific unsaturated fatty acid may act as a signal linking the initiation of sporulation to the status of membrane synthesis and septation or some other specific membrane-associated activity.
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