A Polysaccharide Deacetylase Gene ( pdaA ) Is Required for Germination and for Production of Muramic δ-Lactam Residues in the Spore Cortex of Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT The predicted amino acid sequence of Bacillus subtilis yfjS (renamed pdaA ) exhibits high similarity to those of several polysaccharide deacetylases. β-Galactosidase fusion experiments and results of Northern hybridization with sporulation sigma mutants indicated that the pdaA gene is transcribed by Eσ G RNA polymerase. pdaA -deficient spores were bright by phase-contrast microscopy, and the spores were induced to germination on the addition of l -alanine. Germination-associated spore darkening, a slow and partial decrease in absorbance, and slightly lower dipicolinic acid release compared with that by the wild-type strain were observed. In particular, the release of hexosamine-containing materials was lacking in the pdaA mutant. Muropeptide analysis indicated that the pdaA -deficient spores completely lacked muramic δ-lactam. A pdaA-gfp fusion protein constructed in strain 168 and pdaA -deficient strains indicated that the protein is localized in B. subtilis spores. The biosynthetic pathway of muramic δ-lactam is discussed.