A two-step transport pathway allows the mother cell to nurture the developing spore in Bacillus subtilis.

ABSTRACT: One of the hallmarks of bacterial endospore formation is the accumulation of high concentrations of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid or DPA) in the developing spore. This small molecule comprises 5-15% of the dry weight of dormant spores and plays a central role in resistance to both wet heat and desiccation. DPA is synthesized in the mother cell at a late stage in sporulation and must be translocated across two membranes (the inner and outer forespore membranes) that separate the mother cell and forespore. The enzymes that synthesize DPA and the proteins required to translocate it across the inner forespore membrane were identified over two decades ago but the factors that transport DPA across the outer forespore membrane have remained mysterious. Here, we report that SpoV

SUBMITTER: Ramirez-Guadiana FH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5629000 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature