Constitutive expression of ftsZ overrides the whi developmental genes to initiate sporulation of Streptomyces coelicolor.

ABSTRACT: The filamentous soil bacteria Streptomyces undergo a highly complex developmental programme. Before streptomycetes commit themselves to sporulation, distinct morphological checkpoints are passed in the aerial hyphae that are subject to multi-level control by the whi sporulation genes. Here we show that whi-independent expression of FtsZ restores sporulation to the early sporulation mutants whiA, whiB, whiG, whiH, whiI and whiJ. Viability, stress resistance and high-resolution electron microscopy underlined that viable spores were formed. However, spores from sporulation-restored whiA and whiG mutants showed defects in DNA segregation/condensation, while spores from the complemented whiB mutant had increased stress sensitivity, perhaps as a result of changes in the spore sheath. In contrast

SUBMITTER: Willemse J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3278627 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature