Regulation of motility by the stringent response in B. subtilis (E06*)

• Subject Area: Metabolism, Biochemistry and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 192445154

The alarmones (p)ppGpp play crucial roles in the environmental signal response of bacteria (stringent response). The bifunctional RelA/SpoT proteins are conserved in bacteria and mediate their synthesis and degradation. In the Firmicutes, two additional small alarmone synthetases (SAS1/2) are present. While their biochemical/structural features are well understood, their role within the cellular response to environmental signals lags behind. We will define the roles of SAS1/SAS2 within the cellular signaling network of B. subtilis and unravel the role of their (p)ppGpp product for motility regulation and response to zinc stress.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 987: Microbial Diversity in Environmental Signal Response
• Applicant Institution: Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Gert Bange