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Published on: January 18, 2014
Metabolic and chromosomal changes in a Bacillus subtilis whiA mutant
Laura C Bohorquez1, Joana de Sousa2, Transito Garcia-Garcia3
1Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Importance:
WhiA is a conserved DNA-binding protein that influences cell division in many Gram-positive bacteria and, in B. subtilis, also chromosome segregation. How WhiA works in Bacillus subtilis is unknown. Here, we tested three hypothetical mechanisms using metabolomics, fatty acid analysis, and chromosome confirmation capture experiments. This revealed that WhiA does not influence cell division and chromosome segregation by modulating either central carbon metabolism or fatty acid composition. However, the inactivation of WhiA reduces short-range chromosome interactions. These findings provide new avenues to study the molecular mechanism of WhiA in the future.
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