Formaldehyde kills spores of Bacillus subtilis by DNA damage and small, acid-soluble spore proteins of the ααααααα/βββββββ-type protect spores against this DNA damage |
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Authors: | C. A. Loshon P. C. Genest B. Setlow P. Setlow |
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Affiliation: | Department of Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA |
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Abstract: | Killing of wild-type spores of Bacillus subtilis with formaldehyde also caused significant mutagenesis; spores (termed α−β−) lacking the two major α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) were more sensitive to both formaldehyde killing and mutagenesis. A recA mutation sensitized both wild-type and α−β− spores to formaldehyde treatment, which caused significant expression of a recA - lacZ fusion when the treated spores germinated. Formaldehyde also caused protein–DNA cross-linking in both wild-type and α−β− spores. These results indicate that: (i) formaldehyde kills B. subtilis spores at least in part by DNA damage and (b) α/β-type SASP protect against spore killing by formaldehyde, presumably by protecting spore DNA. |
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