SspA

• Description: small acid-soluble spore protein (major alpha-type SASP)
  
  

Gene name	sspA
Synonyms
Essential	no
Product	small acid-soluble spore protein (major alpha-type SASP)
Function	protection of spore DNA
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: sspA
MW, pI	6 kDa, 4.731
Gene length, protein length	207 bp, 69 aa
Immediate neighbours	ytcI, thiI
Sequences	Protein DNA DNA_with_flanks
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList
Expression at a glance   PubMed

Categories containing this gene/protein

sporulation proteins

This gene is a member of the following regulons

SigG regulon, SpoVT regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU29570

Phenotypes of a mutant

• a sspA mutant is sensitive to ionizing radiation PubMed

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU29570

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:

• Protein family: alpha/beta-type SASP family (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification:

• Cofactors:

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:

• Localization:

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU29570

• Structure: 2BZ0 (82% identity, 89% similarity)

• UniProt: P04831

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: sspA PubMed

• Expression browser: sspA PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigG PubMed

• Regulation:
  • expressed late during sporulation in the forespore (SigG, SpoVT) PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • SpoVT: transcription activation PubMed

• Additional information: the mRNA is very stable (half-life > 15 min) PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:
  • BP137 (sspA::cat) available in Fabian Commichau's lab
  • 1S109 (no resistance), available at BGSC
  • 1S111 (no resistance), PubMed, available at BGSC
  • 1S112 (no resistance), PubMed, available at BGSC
  • 1S113 (no resistance), PubMed, available at BGSC

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

References

Ralf Moeller, Marina Raguse, Günther Reitz, Ryuichi Okayasu, Zuofeng Li, Stuart Klein, Peter Setlow, Wayne L Nicholson
Resistance of Bacillus subtilis spore DNA to lethal ionizing radiation damage relies primarily on spore core components and DNA repair, with minor effects of oxygen radical detoxification.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2014, 80(1);104-9
[PubMed:24123749] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Ralf Moeller, Andrew C Schuerger, Günther Reitz, Wayne L Nicholson
Protective role of spore structural components in determining Bacillus subtilis spore resistance to simulated mars surface conditions.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2012, 78(24);8849-53
[PubMed:23064347] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Ralf Moeller, Peter Setlow, Günther Reitz, Wayne L Nicholson
Roles of small, acid-soluble spore proteins and core water content in survival of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to environmental solar UV radiation.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2009, 75(16);5202-8
[PubMed:19542328] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Barbara Setlow, Swaroopa Atluri, Ryan Kitchel, Kasia Koziol-Dube, Peter Setlow
Role of dipicolinic acid in resistance and stability of spores of Bacillus subtilis with or without DNA-protective alpha/beta-type small acid-soluble proteins.
J Bacteriol: 2006, 188(11);3740-7
[PubMed:16707666] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Leif Steil, Mónica Serrano, Adriano O Henriques, Uwe Völker
Genome-wide analysis of temporally regulated and compartment-specific gene expression in sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis.
Microbiology (Reading): 2005, 151(Pt 2);399-420
[PubMed:15699190] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Thierry Douki, Barbara Setlow, Peter Setlow
Effects of the binding of alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins on the photochemistry of DNA in spores of Bacillus subtilis and in vitro.
Photochem Photobiol: 2005, 81(1);163-9
[PubMed:15458366] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

G Hambraeus, C von Wachenfeldt, L Hederstedt
Genome-wide survey of mRNA half-lives in Bacillus subtilis identifies extremely stable mRNAs.
Mol Genet Genomics: 2003, 269(5);706-14
[PubMed:12884008] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

B Setlow, K A McGinnis, K Ragkousi, P Setlow
Effects of major spore-specific DNA binding proteins on Bacillus subtilis sporulation and spore properties.
J Bacteriol: 2000, 182(24);6906-12
[PubMed:11092849] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

I Bagyan, J Hobot, S Cutting
A compartmentalized regulator of developmental gene expression in Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 1996, 178(15);4500-7
[PubMed:8755877] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

B Setlow, P Setlow
Binding to DNA protects alpha/beta-type, small, acid-soluble spore proteins of Bacillus and Clostridium species against digestion by their specific protease as well as by other proteases.
J Bacteriol: 1995, 177(14);4149-51
[PubMed:7608092] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

J M Mason, P Fajardo-Cavazos, P Setlow
Levels of mRNAs which code for small, acid-soluble spore proteins and their LacZ gene fusions in sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis.
Nucleic Acids Res: 1988, 16(14A);6567-83
[PubMed:2456528] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

R H Hackett, P Setlow
Properties of spores of Bacillus subtilis strains which lack the major small, acid-soluble protein.
J Bacteriol: 1988, 170(3);1403-4
[PubMed:3125155] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

J M Mason, P Setlow
Essential role of small, acid-soluble spore proteins in resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores to UV light.
J Bacteriol: 1986, 167(1);174-8
[PubMed:3087950] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M J Connors, J M Mason, P Setlow
Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of genes for three small, acid-soluble proteins from Bacillus subtilis spores.
J Bacteriol: 1986, 166(2);417-25
[PubMed:3009398] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)