Elongation Factor P Is Important for Sporulation Initiation
Heather A. Feaga, Hyerim Hong, Cassidy R. Prince, Ananda Rankin, Allen R. Buskirk, Jonathan Dworkin
Abstract
Elongation factor P (EF-P) is a universally conserved translation factor that prevents ribosome stalling at amino acids that form peptide bonds with low efficiency, particularly polyproline tracts. Phenotypes associated with EF-P deletion are pleiotropic, and the mechanistic basis underlying many of these phenotypes is unclear. Here, we show that the absence of EF-P affects the ability of B. subtilis to initiate sporulation by preventing normal expression of Spo0A, the key transcriptional regulator of this process. These data illustrate a mechanism that accounts for the sporulation delay and further suggest that cells are capable of sensing translation stress before committing to sporulation.