SkfB

• Description: thioether bond forming radical SAM enzyme, catalyzes the first step in the maturation of spore killing factor
  
  

Gene name	skfB
Synonyms	ybcP, ybcQ
Essential	no
Product	thioether bond forming radical SAM enzyme
Function	maturation of spore killing factor
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: skfB
Interactions involving this protein in SubtInteract: SkfB
MW, pI	45 kDa, 4.934
Gene length, protein length	1230 bp, 410 aa
Immediate neighbours	skfA, skfC
Get the DNA and protein sequences (Barbe et al., 2009)
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList
Expression at a glance   PubMed

Categories containing this gene/protein

toxins, antitoxins and immunity against toxins

This gene is a member of the following regulons

AbrB regulon, PhoP regulon, Spo0A regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU01920

Database entries

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:
  • generates a thioether bond in SkfA, which links the cysteine residue Cys4 with the α-carbon of the methionine residue Met12 PubMed

• Protein family: moaA/nifB/pqqE family (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s): contains two [4Fe-4S] clusters PubMed

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:
  • SkfA-SkfB PubMed

• Localization:

Database entries

• Structure:

• UniProt: O31423

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: skfA-skfB-skfC-skfE-skfF-skfG-skfH PubMed

• Expression browser: skfB PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:
  • expressed under conditions that trigger sporulation (Spo0A) PubMed
  • repressed during logrithmic growth (AbrB) PubMed
  • induced by phosphate starvation (PhoP) PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • Spo0A: transcription activation PubMed
  • AbrB: transcription repression PubMed
  • PhoP: transcription activation PubMed

• Additional information: Northern blotting during during phosphate limitation showed an intense 0.25 kb skfA-specific transcript, and a weaker 6.5 kb skfA-skfB-skfC-skfE-skfF-skfG-skfH transcript. The skfA transcript is stabilized by a stem-loop structure in the skfA-skfB intergenic region. PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

References

Reviews

José Eduardo González-Pastor
Cannibalism: a social behavior in sporulating Bacillus subtilis.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2011, 35(3);415-24
[PubMed:20955377] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Original Publications

Additional publications: PubMed

Allison V Banse, Arnaud Chastanet, Lilah Rahn-Lee, Errett C Hobbs, Richard Losick
Parallel pathways of repression and antirepression governing the transition to stationary phase in Bacillus subtilis.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 2008, 105(40);15547-52
[PubMed:18840696] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Mark A Strauch, Benjamin G Bobay, John Cavanagh, Fude Yao, Angelo Wilson, Yoann Le Breton
Abh and AbrB control of Bacillus subtilis antimicrobial gene expression.
J Bacteriol: 2007, 189(21);7720-32
[PubMed:17720793] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Akihito Ochiai, Takafumi Itoh, Akiko Kawamata, Wataru Hashimoto, Kousaku Murata
Plant cell wall degradation by saprophytic Bacillus subtilis strains: gene clusters responsible for rhamnogalacturonan depolymerization.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2007, 73(12);3803-13
[PubMed:17449691] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Nicholas E E Allenby, Carys A Watts, Georg Homuth, Zoltán Prágai, Anil Wipat, Alan C Ward, Colin R Harwood
Phosphate starvation induces the sporulation killing factor of Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2006, 188(14);5299-303
[PubMed:16816204] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Helga Westers, Peter G Braun, Lidia Westers, Haike Antelmann, Michael Hecker, Jan D H Jongbloed, Hirofumi Yoshikawa, Teruo Tanaka, Jan Maarten van Dijl, Wim J Quax
Genes involved in SkfA killing factor production protect a Bacillus subtilis lipase against proteolysis.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2005, 71(4);1899-908
[PubMed:15812018] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Masaya Fujita, José Eduardo González-Pastor, Richard Losick
High- and low-threshold genes in the Spo0A regulon of Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2005, 187(4);1357-68
[PubMed:15687200] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Virginie Molle, Masaya Fujita, Shane T Jensen, Patrick Eichenberger, José E González-Pastor, Jun S Liu, Richard Losick
The Spo0A regulon of Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2003, 50(5);1683-701
[PubMed:14651647] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

José E González-Pastor, Errett C Hobbs, Richard Losick
Cannibalism by sporulating bacteria.
Science: 2003, 301(5632);510-3
[PubMed:12817086] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)