EpsK

• Description: extracellular polysaccharide synthesis
  
  

Gene name	epsK
Synonyms	yvfA, yvfB
Essential	no
Product	unknown
Function	biofilm formation
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: epsK
Regulation of this protein in SubtiPathways: epsK
MW, pI	55 kDa, 10.009
Gene length, protein length	1515 bp, 505 aa
Immediate neighbours	epsL, epsJ
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

biofilm formation, membrane proteins

This gene is a member of the following regulons

AbrB regulon, EAR riboswitch, RemA regulon, SinR regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU34265

Phenotypes of a mutant

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

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU34265

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

Additional information

The gene was re-assembled due to sequencing error in original sequence (it encompasses the genes annotated as yvfA and yvfB in SubtiList) PubMed

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:

• Protein family:

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s):

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:

• Localization: cell membrane (according to Swiss-Prot)

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU34265

• Structure:

• UniProt: P71060

• 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: epsK PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:
  • repressed by SinR PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • SinR: transcription anti-activation (prevents binding of RemA) PubMed
  • RemA: transcription activation 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

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

Jared T Winkelman, Anna C Bree, Ashley R Bate, Patrick Eichenberger, Richard L Gourse, Daniel B Kearns
RemA is a DNA-binding protein that activates biofilm matrix gene expression in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 2013, 88(5);984-97
[PubMed:23646920] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

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)

Christine Diethmaier, Nico Pietack, Katrin Gunka, Christoph Wrede, Martin Lehnik-Habrink, Christina Herzberg, Sebastian Hübner, Jörg Stülke
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] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Martin Lehnik-Habrink, Marc Schaffer, Ulrike Mäder, Christine Diethmaier, Christina Herzberg, Jörg Stülke
RNA processing in Bacillus subtilis: identification of targets of the essential RNase Y.
Mol Microbiol: 2011, 81(6);1459-73
[PubMed:21815947] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Onuma Chumsakul, Hiroki Takahashi, Taku Oshima, Takahiro Hishimoto, Shigehiko Kanaya, Naotake Ogasawara, Shu Ishikawa
Genome-wide binding profiles of the Bacillus subtilis transition state regulator AbrB and its homolog Abh reveals their interactive role in transcriptional regulation.
Nucleic Acids Res: 2011, 39(2);414-28
[PubMed:20817675] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

K Nagorska, A Ostrowski, K Hinc, I B Holland, M Obuchowski
Importance of eps genes from Bacillus subtilis in biofilm formation and swarming.
J Appl Genet: 2010, 51(3);369-81
[PubMed:20720312] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

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)

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)