2-Methylcitrate cycle: a well-regulated controller in Bacillus sporulation

To understand which gene(s) are affected by 2-methylcitrate to lead to the delayed sporulation in ∆prpD, we extracted the total RNA from BMB171 and ∆prpD at 12 h for whole genome transcription analysis by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Our RNA-seq data showed that transcriptions of almost all of the SigF regulon genes, as concluded from the B. subtilis regulon, were significantly down-regulated in ∆prpD compared with the wild type BMB171. However, almost all the regulon genes of SigH, a sigma factor that functions upstream of SigF, were significantly up-regulated in ∆prpD. Those genes included spo0A, the early-expressed operon spoIIA and sigF itself. These results indicated that dysregulation of genes occurred on various levels. In particular, though, post-transcriptional inhibition of sigF functionality might subsequently lead to down-regulation of SigF regulon genes in the ∆prpD mutant. BMB171 and ΔprpD strains were cultured in GYS medium for 12 h, RNA samples were isolated and sequenced, each with two repetitions.