YisK possesses oxaloacetate decarboxylase activity and exhibits Mbl-dependent localization.

YisK is an uncharacterized protein in previously shown to interact genetically with the elongasome protein Mbl. YisK overexpression leads to cell widening and lysis, phenotypes that are dependent on and suppressed by mutations. In the present work, we characterize YisK's localization, structure, and enzymatic activity.

Magnesium Modulates Bacillus subtilis Cell Division Frequency.

By chance, we discovered a window of extracellular magnesium (Mg) availability that modulates the division frequency of Bacillus subtilis without affecting its growth rate. In this window, cells grown with excess Mg produce shorter cells than do those grown in unsupplemented medium. The Mg-responsive adjustment in cell length occurs in both rich and minimal media as well as in domesticated and undomesticated strains.

RefZ and Noc Act Synthetically to Prevent Aberrant Divisions during Bacillus subtilis Sporulation.

During sporulation, Bacillus subtilis undergoes an atypical cell division that requires overriding mechanisms that protect chromosomes from damage and ensure inheritance by daughter cells. Instead of assembling between segregated chromosomes at midcell, the FtsZ-ring coalesces polarly, directing division over one chromosome. The DNA-binding protein RefZ facilitates the timely assembly of polar Z-rings and partially defines the region of chromosome initially captured in the forespore.

A DNA-Binding Protein Tunes Septum Placement during Sporulation.

is a bacterium capable of differentiating into a spore form more resistant to environmental stress. Early in sporulation, each cell possesses two copies of a circular chromosome. A polar FtsZ ring (Z ring) directs septation over one of the chromosomes, generating two cell compartments.

Metabolism Shapes the Cell.

More than 5 decades of work support the idea that cell envelope synthesis, including the inward growth of cell division, is tightly coordinated with DNA replication and protein synthesis through central metabolism. Remarkably, no unifying model exists to account for how these fundamentally disparate processes are functionally coupled. Recent studies demonstrate that proteins involved in carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism can moonlight as direct regulators of cell division, coordinate cell division and DNA replication, and even suppress defects in DNA replication.

The DnaA inhibitor SirA acts in the same pathway as Soj (ParA) to facilitate oriC segregation during Bacillus subtilis sporulation.

DNA replication and chromosome segregation must be carefully regulated to ensure reproductive success. During Bacillus subtilis sporulation, chromosome copy number is reduced to two, and cells divide asymmetrically to produce the future spore (forespore) compartment. For successful sporulation, oriC must be captured in the forespore.

YodL and YisK Possess Shape-Modifying Activities That Are Suppressed by Mutations in Bacillus subtilis mreB and mbl.

Unlabelled: Many bacteria utilize actin-like proteins to direct peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis. MreB and MreB-like proteins are thought to act as scaffolds, guiding the localization and activity of key PG-synthesizing proteins during cell elongation. Despite their critical role in viability and cell shape maintenance, very little is known about how the activity of MreB family proteins is regulated.

A Secreted Factor Coordinates Environmental Quality with Bacillus Development.

Entry into sporulation is governed by the master regulator Spo0A. Spo0A accumulates in its active form, Spo0A-P, as cells enter stationary phase. Prior reports have shown that the acute induction of constitutively active Spo0A during exponential growth does not result in sporulation.

A DNA-binding protein defines the precise region of chromosome capture during Bacillus sporulation.

During sporulation, Bacillus subtilis divides around the nucleoid near one cell pole, initially capturing approximately one quarter of one chromosome in the newly formed forespore compartment. While it is known that a specific region of the nucleoid is reproducibly captured in the forespore, the mechanism underlying the precision of capture is unknown. Here we describe a role for RefZ, a DNA-binding protein that regulates FtsZ, and its cognate binding motifs (RBMs) in defining the specific region of chromosome initially captured in the forespore.

CodY Regulates SigD Levels and Activity by Binding to Three Sites in the fla/che Operon.

Unlabelled: Exponentially growing cultures of Bacillus subtilis (PY79) are composed primarily of nonmotile, chained cells. The alternative sigma factor, SigD, promotes the phenotypic switch from nonmotile, chained cells to unchained, motile cells. In the present work, we investigated the role of the GTP-sensing protein CodY in the regulation of SigD.

RelA inhibits Bacillus subtilis motility and chaining.

The nucleotide second messengers pppGpp and ppGpp [(p)ppGpp] are responsible for the global downregulation of transcription, translation, DNA replication, and growth rate that occurs during the stringent response. More recent studies suggest that (p)ppGpp is also an important effector in many nonstringent processes, including virulence, persister cell formation, and biofilm production. In Bacillus subtilis, (p)ppGpp production is primarily determined by the net activity of RelA, a bifunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase, and two monofunctional (p)ppGpp synthetases, YwaC and YjbM.