Lack of a significant role for the PerR regulator in Bacillus subtilis spore resistance

Bacillus subtilis cells lacking the PerR repressor which regulates transcription of genes encoding oxidative stress protective proteins grew at 30-50% the rate of wild-type cells, and perR cultures accumulated rapidly growing suppressor mutants lacking the catalase whose expression is regulated by PerR. However, perR spores which retained the perR regulated catalase were obtained on plates. These perR spores had levels of oxidative stress protective proteins from 7- to 50-fold higher than those in wild-type spores, but perR spore resistance to heat, hydrogen peroxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide was essentially identical to that of wild-type spores, indicating that elevated levels of proteins that protect growing cells from oxidizing agents play no role in dormant spore resistance to these compounds. However, germinated perR spores were much more resistant to alkyl hydroperoxides than were wild-type spores.