MecA

• Description: buffering protein for development, dampens transitions to spore, biofilm exopolysaccharide and competence expression , targets ComK to ClpC-ClpP degradation machine (in log Phase), inhibits the transcriptional activity of Spo0A∼P by direct interaction
  
  

Gene name	mecA
Synonyms
Essential	no
Product	adaptor protein
Function	control of ComK degradation, regulation of competence
MW, pI	25 kDa, 4.209
Gene length, protein length	654 bp, 218 aa
Immediate neighbours	yjbE, coiA
Get the DNA and protein sequences (Barbe et al., 2009)
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList

Categories containing this gene/protein

genetic competence, proteolysis

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU11520

Database entries

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:

• Protein family: mecA family (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s): YpbH

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:
  • N-terminal domain (1 ... 120): recruitment of protein substrates PubMed
  • C-terminal domain (121 ... 218): facilitates assembly of the ClpC-ClpP oligomer and acts as a degradation tag PubMed

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s):

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:
  • MecA-ComK PubMed
  • MecA-ComS PubMed
  • ClpC-MecA PubMed
  • MecA-Spo0A PubMed

• Localization:

Database entries

• Structure: 3JTP (C-terminal domain) PubMed

• UniProt: P37958

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: mecA PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:

• Regulatory mechanism:

• Additional information:

Biological materials

• Mutant: GP813 (spc), GP814 (aphA3) both available in the Stülke lab

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

References

Original Publications

Additonal publications: PubMed

Douglas J Kojetin, Patrick D McLaughlin, Richele J Thompson, David Dubnau, Peter Prepiak, Mark Rance, John Cavanagh
Structural and motional contributions of the Bacillus subtilis ClpC N-domain to adaptor protein interactions.
J Mol Biol: 2009, 387(3);639-52
[PubMed:19361434] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Peter Prepiak, David Dubnau
A peptide signal for adapter protein-mediated degradation by the AAA+ protease ClpCP.
Mol Cell: 2007, 26(5);639-47
[PubMed:17560370] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Randy M Berka, Jeanette Hahn, Mark Albano, Irena Draskovic, Marjan Persuh, Xianju Cui, Alan Sloma, William Widner, David Dubnau
Microarray analysis of the Bacillus subtilis K-state: genome-wide expression changes dependent on ComK.
Mol Microbiol: 2002, 43(5);1331-45
[PubMed:11918817] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Marjan Persuh, Ines Mandic-Mulec, David Dubnau
A MecA paralog, YpbH, binds ClpC, affecting both competence and sporulation.
J Bacteriol: 2002, 184(8);2310-3
[PubMed:11914365] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

K Turgay, J Hahn, J Burghoorn, D Dubnau
Competence in Bacillus subtilis is controlled by regulated proteolysis of a transcription factor.
EMBO J: 1998, 17(22);6730-8
[PubMed:9890793] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

K Turgay, L W Hamoen, G Venema, D Dubnau
Biochemical characterization of a molecular switch involving the heat shock protein ClpC, which controls the activity of ComK, the competence transcription factor of Bacillus subtilis.
Genes Dev: 1997, 11(1);119-28
[PubMed:9000055] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

J Hahn, J Bylund, M Haines, M Higgins, D Dubnau
Inactivation of mecA prevents recovery from the competent state and interferes with cell division and the partitioning of nucleoids in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 1995, 18(4);755-67
[PubMed:8817496] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

L Kong, K J Siranosian, A D Grossman, D Dubnau
Sequence and properties of mecA, a negative regulator of genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis.
Mol Microbiol: 1993, 9(2);365-73
[PubMed:8412687] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M Roggiani, J Hahn, D Dubnau
Suppression of early competence mutations in Bacillus subtilis by mec mutations.
J Bacteriol: 1990, 172(7);4056-63
[PubMed:2113920] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)