Abstract
The role played by the Y-family DNA polymerases YqjH and YqjW in protecting sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis from DNA damage was determined. The absence of either yqjH and/or yqjW not only reduced sporulation efficiency but also sensitized the sporulating cells to hydrogen peroxide, tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP), mitomycin-C (M-C), and UV-C radiation. Moreover, these DNA-damaging agents increased the mutation frequency of wild-type sporulating cells to 4-azaleucine, but the production of mutants was YqjH- and YqjW-dependent. In conclusion, the results presented here indicate that YqjH/YqjW-dependent-translesion synthesis (TLS) operates in sporulating B. subtilis cells and contributes in processing spontaneous and artificially induced genetic damage, which is apparently required for an efficient sporulation process.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Patricia Fajardo-Cavazos, Jose Luis Ortiz-Lugo, and Silvia Mellado for invaluable technical assistance. This work was supported by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología from México (CONACyT) grants 43644 and 84482 to M. Pedraza-Reyes and by grants from NASA (NNA06CB58G) and USDA (FLA-MCS-04602) to W.L.N. A.M. Rivas-Castillo was supported by a doctoral scholarship from CONACyT.
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Rivas-Castillo, A.M., Yasbin, R.E., Robleto, E. et al. Role of the Y-Family DNA Polymerases YqjH and YqjW in Protecting Sporulating Bacillus subtilis Cells from DNA Damage. Curr Microbiol 60, 263–267 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9535-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9535-3