EpsE

• Description: inhibitor of motility and glycosyltransferase required for EPS biosynthesis
  
  

Gene name	epsE
Synonyms	yveO
Essential	no
Product	glycosyltransferase, inhibitor of motility
Function	biofilm formation
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: epsE
Interactions involving this protein in SubtInteract: EpsE
Regulation of this protein in SubtiPathways: Biofilm
MW, pI	32 kDa, 9.804
Gene length, protein length	834 bp, 278 aa
Immediate neighbours	epsF, epsD
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

motility and chemotaxis, biofilm formation, membrane proteins

This gene is a member of the following regulons

AbrB regulon, EAR riboswitch, SinR regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU34330

Phenotypes of a mutant

• • smooth colonies on MsGG medium, no biofilm formation PubMed

Database entries

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:
  • arrests flagellar rotation in a manner similar to that of a clutch, by disengaging motor force-generating elements in cells embedded in the biofilm matrix, separates the cytoplasmic FliG motor from the MotA-MotB stator PubMed
  • biosynthesis of extracellular polysaccharides PubMed

• Protein family: glycosyltransferase 2 family (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s):

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:
  • EpsE-FliG PubMed

• Localization: cell membrane, forms spots at flagellar basal bodies PubMed

Database entries

• Structure:

• UniProt: P71054

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: epsA-epsB-epsC-epsD-epsE-epsF-epsG-epsH-epsI-epsJ-epsK-epsL-epsM-epsN-epsO PubMed

• Expression browser: epsE PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:
  • repressed by SinR PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • SinR: transcription repression PubMed
  • AbrB: transcription repression PubMed

• Additional information:
  • induction by sequestration of SinR by SinI or SlrA PubMed
  • the epsA-epsB-epsC-epsD-epsE-epsF-epsG-epsH-epsI-epsJ-epsK-epsL-epsM-epsN-epsO operon is not expressed in a ymdB mutant PubMed
  • the amount of the mRNA is substantially decreased upon depletion of RNase Y (this is likely due to the increased stability of the sinR mRNA) PubMed
  • the EAR riboswitch (eps-associated RNA switch) located between epsB and epsC mediates processive antitermination and allows expression of the long eps operon PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

Labs working on this gene/protein

• Daniel Kearns, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, homepage
• Richard Losick, Harvard Univ., Cambridge, USA homepage

References

Reviews

Massimiliano Marvasi, Pieter T Visscher, Lilliam Casillas Martinez
Exopolymeric substances (EPS) from Bacillus subtilis: polymers and genes encoding their synthesis.
FEMS Microbiol Lett: 2010, 313(1);1-9
[PubMed:20735481] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Original publications

The EAR RNA switch

Irnov Irnov, Wade C Winkler
A regulatory RNA required for antitermination of biofilm and capsular polysaccharide operons in Bacillales.
Mol Microbiol: 2010, 76(3);559-75
[PubMed:20374491] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Zasha Weinberg, Joy X Wang, Jarrod Bogue, Jingying Yang, Keith Corbino, Ryan H Moy, Ronald R Breaker
Comparative genomics reveals 104 candidate structured RNAs from bacteria, archaea, and their metagenomes.
Genome Biol: 2010, 11(3);R31
[PubMed:20230605] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Other original publications

Additional publications: PubMed

Eric R Pozsgai, Kris M Blair, Daniel B Kearns
Modified mariner transposons for random inducible-expression insertions and transcriptional reporter fusion insertions in Bacillus subtilis.
Appl Environ Microbiol: 2012, 78(3);778-85
[PubMed:22113911] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Lehnik-Habrink M, Schaffer M, Mäder U, Diethmaier C, Herzberg C, Stülke J  
RNA processing in Bacillus subtilis: identification of targets of the essential RNase Y. 
Mol Microbiol. 2011 81(6): 1459-1473. 
PubMed:21815947

Diethmaier C, Pietack N, Gunka K, Wrede C, Lehnik-Habrink M, Herzberg C, Hübner S, Stülke J  
A Novel Factor Controlling Bistability in Bacillus subtilis: The YmdB Protein Affects
Flagellin Expression and Biofilm Formation. 
J Bacteriol.: 2011, 193(21):5997-6007. 
PubMed:21856853

Sarah B Guttenplan, Kris M Blair, Daniel B Kearns
The EpsE flagellar clutch is bifunctional and synergizes with EPS biosynthesis to promote Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation.
PLoS Genet: 2010, 6(12);e1001243
[PubMed:21170308] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Kazuo Kobayashi
SlrR/SlrA controls the initiation of biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2008, 69(6);1399-410
[PubMed:18647168] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Kris M Blair, Linda Turner, Jared T Winkelman, Howard C Berg, Daniel B Kearns
A molecular clutch disables flagella in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm.
Science: 2008, 320(5883);1636-8
[PubMed:18566286] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Yunrong Chai, Frances Chu, Roberto Kolter, Richard Losick
Bistability and biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2008, 67(2);254-63
[PubMed:18047568] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Frances Chu, Daniel B Kearns, Steven S Branda, Roberto Kolter, Richard Losick
Targets of the master regulator of biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2006, 59(4);1216-28
[PubMed:16430695] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Daniel B Kearns, Frances Chu, Steven S Branda, Roberto Kolter, Richard Losick
A master regulator for biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2005, 55(3);739-49
[PubMed:15661000] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)