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Regulator ThnR and the ThnDE ABC transporter proteins confer autoimmunity to thurincin H in Bacillus thuringiensis

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Abstract

The structural gene that encodes thurincin H, a bacteriocin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, is harboured in a genetic cluster (thnP, E, D, R, A1, A2, A3, B, T, I) that controls its synthesis, modification, secretion and autoimmunity. The specific genes in the cassette that confer immunity in B. thuringiensis to thurincin H are unknown. To identify these immunity determinants, we generated constructs that were used to transform a natural thurincin H-sensitive B. thuringiensis strain (i.e. Btk 404), and resistance or susceptibility to the bacteriocin in resultant recombinants was evaluated. When Btk 404/pHT3101-ThnARDEP and Btk 404/pHT3101-ThnABTI were exposed to thurincin H, immunity was demonstrated by the former only, indicating that ThnI does not play a role in resistance to the bacteriocin as previously proposed. Furthermore, we generated different sub-cassettes under the control of divergent promoters pThnR and pThur of the thurincin H locus, and pChi, and using the green fluorescent protein gene as reporter, which demonstrated that all promoters were recognised by ThnR, except pChi. We show for the first time that the small operon composed of thnR, thnD and thnE is required for immunity of B. thuringiensis to thurincin H, and thnI is not necessary for this response.

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Acknowledgements

Luz E. Casados-Vázquez is a Young Associate Research supported by “Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), México (Grant 269). This study was partially supported by Grant SEP-CONACyT (258220) to J.E. Barboza-Corona. We appreciate the technical assistance of Dr. Rubén Salcedo-Hernández from the Universidad de Guanajuato, México.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life Science Division, Graduate Program in Biosciences, University of Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, 36500, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Luz E. Casados-Vázquez & José E. Barboza-Corona

  2. Life Science Division Food Department, University of Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, 36500, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Luz E. Casados-Vázquez & José E. Barboza-Corona

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92504, USA

    Dennis K. Bideshi

  4. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Dennis K. Bideshi

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  1. Luz E. Casados-Vázquez
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Correspondence to José E. Barboza-Corona.

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Casados-Vázquez, L.E., Bideshi, D.K. & Barboza-Corona, J.E. Regulator ThnR and the ThnDE ABC transporter proteins confer autoimmunity to thurincin H in Bacillus thuringiensis. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 111, 2349–2360 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-018-1124-7

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