« Previous AbstractProduction of onion fly attractants and ovipositional stimulants by bacterial isolates cultured on onion    Next AbstractPremating isolation is determined by larval rearing substrates in cactophilic Drosophila mojavensis. IX. Host plant and population specific epicuticular hydrocarbon expression influences mate choice and sexual selection »

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		An unmodified heptadecapeptide pheromone induces competence for genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Author(s):		Havarstein LS; Coomaraswamy G; Morrison DA;
Address:		"Laboratory of Microbial Gene Technology, Agricultural University of Norway, As, Norway"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		1995
Volume:		92
Issue:		24
Page Number:		11140 - 11144
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.92.24.11140
ISSN/ISBN:		0027-8424 (Print) 1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Competence for genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae has been known for three decades to arise in growing cultures at a critical cell density, in response to a secreted protease-sensitive signal. We show that strain CP1200 produces a 17-residue peptide that induces cells of the species to develop competence. The sequence of the peptide was found to be H-Glu-Met-Arg-Leu-Ser-Lys-Phe-Phe-Arg-Asp-Phe-Ile-Leu-Gln-Arg- Lys-Lys-OH. A synthetic peptide of the same sequence was shown to be biologically active in small quantities and to extend the range of conditions suitable for development of competence. Cognate codons in the pneumococcal chromosome indicate that the peptide is made ribosomally. As the gene encodes a prepeptide containing the Gly-Gly consensus processing site found in peptide bacteriocins, the peptide is likely to be exported by a specialized ATP-binding cassette transport protein as is characteristic of these bacteriocins. The hypothesis is presented that this transport protein is encoded by comA, previously shown to be required for elaboration of the pneumococcal competence activator"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Sequence Bacterial Proteins/genetics/*metabolism/physiology Base Sequence DNA Primers/chemistry DNA, Bacterial/genetics DNA-Binding Proteins/*metabolism Genes, Bacterial Molecular Sequence Data Oligopeptides/*physiology Pheromones/*physiology S;"
Notes:		"MedlineHavarstein, L S Coomaraswamy, G Morrison, D A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 1995/11/21 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995 Nov 21; 92(24):11140-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.92.24.11140"