Transcriptome analysis of the secretion stress response of Bacillus subtilis

Transcription profiling of all protein-encoding genes of Bacillus subtilis was carried out under several secretion stress conditions in the exponential growth phase. Cells that secreted AmyQ alpha-amylase at a high level were stressed only moderately: seven genes were induced, most significantly htrA and htrB, encoding quality control proteases, and yqxL, encoding a putative CorA-type Mg2+ transporter. These three genes were induced more strongly by severe secretion stress (prsA3 mutant secreting AmyQ), suggesting that their expression responds to protein misfolding. In addition, 17 other genes were induced, including the liaIHGFSR (yvqIHGFEC) operon, csaA and ffh, encoding chaperones involved in the pretranslocational phase of secretion, and genes involved in cell wall synthesis/modification. Severe secretion stress caused downregulation of 23 genes, including the prsA paralogue yacD. Analysis of a cssS knockout mutant indicated that the absence of the CssRS two-component system, and consequently the absence of the HtrA and HtrB proteases, caused secretion stress. The results also suggest that the htrA and htrB genes comprise the CssRS regulon. B. subtilis cells respond to secretion/folding stress by various changes in gene expression, which can be seen as an attempt to combat the stress condition.