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Direct SpoIIQ-SpoIIIAH interaction is dispensable for sporulation in Bacillus subtilis
Katarína Muchová1, Andrea Vetráková1, James A Brannigan2
1Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|November 14, 2025
Summary
The SpoIIIAH:SpoIIQ interaction is not essential for Bacillus subtilis sporulation. Disrupting this interaction allows efficient spore formation, suggesting SpoIIQ
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Bacillus subtilis sporulation involves cell-within-a-cell engulfment.
- Peptidoglycan remodeling and the SpoIIIAA-AH:SpoIIQ complex are vital.
- SpoIIQ and SpoIIIAH proteins are essential and interact across the septum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the direct SpoIIIAH:SpoIIQ interaction in Bacillus subtilis sporulation.
- To determine if disrupting the SpoIIIAH-SpoIIQ interaction affects spore formation efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Site-directed mutagenesis of SpoIIQ.
- In vivo and in vitro interaction and localization studies.
- Sigma-G activation and sporulation assays.
Main Results:
- Spores formed efficiently even when the direct SpoIIIAH-SpoIIQ interaction was disrupted.
- Mutagenesis studies confirmed the dispensability of the H-Q interaction for sporulation.
- Localization studies supported the proposed functions of SpoIIQ.
Conclusions:
- The direct interaction between SpoIIIAH and SpoIIQ is dispensable for Bacillus subtilis sporulation.
- SpoIIQ's essential role may lie in recruiting other proteins like SpoIIE, GerM, or SpoIIIA proteins to the engulfment complex.
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