Des

• Description: phospholipid desaturase
  
  

Gene name	des
Synonyms	yocE
Essential	no
Product	phospholipid desaturase
Function	adaptation of membrane fluidity at low temperatures
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: des
Interactions involving this protein in SubtInteract: Des
Metabolic function and regulation of this protein in SubtiPathways: Fatty acid degradation
MW, pI	40 kDa, 9.88
Gene length, protein length	1056 bp, 352 aa
Immediate neighbours	yocD, desK
Sequences	Protein DNA DNA_with_flanks
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList
Expression at a glance   PubMed

Categories containing this gene/protein

lipid metabolism/ other, cold stress proteins, membrane proteins

This gene is a member of the following regulons

DesR regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU19180

Phenotypes of a mutant

• • cold-sensitive PubMed

Database entries

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

Additional information

• • in strains evolved for growth at low pressure, des expression is significantly increased as compared to the wild type, this allows growth at low pressure PubMed

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity: introduces double bonds into long chain fatty acids PubMed

• Protein family:

• Paralogous protein(s):

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s):
  • Des receives electrons from ferredoxin (Fer) or from either of the two flavodoxins, YkuN or YkuP, the three proteins can functionally replace each other PubMed

• Effectors of protein activity:

• Interactions:
  • Des-Fer (electron transfer to Des) PubMed
  • Des-YkuN (electron transfer to Des) PubMed
  • Des-YkuP (electron transfer to Des) PubMed

• Localization: integral membrane protein PubMed

Database entries

• Structure:

• UniProt: O34653

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: des PubMed

• Expression browser: des PubMed

• Sigma factor: SigA PubMed

• Regulation:
  • induced upon cold shock (DesR) PubMed
  • repressed at increased membrane fluidity PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • two component system DesR-DesK: transcription activation PubMed, PubMed

• Additional information:
  • in strains evolved for growth at low pressure, des expression is significantly increased as compared to the wild type PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:
  • 1A835 ( des::kan), PubMed, available at BGSC

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

Labs working on this gene/protein

• Diego de Mendoza, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentine homepage

References

Original publications

Patricia Fajardo-Cavazos, Samantha M Waters, Andrew C Schuerger, Sheeja George, James J Marois, Wayne L Nicholson
Evolution of Bacillus subtilis to enhanced growth at low pressure: up-regulated transcription of des-desKR, encoding the fatty acid desaturase system.
Astrobiology: 2012, 12(3);258-70
[PubMed:22416764] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Lorena Chazarreta-Cifre, Leticia Martiarena, Diego de Mendoza, Silvia G Altabe
Role of ferredoxin and flavodoxins in Bacillus subtilis fatty acid desaturation.
J Bacteriol: 2011, 193(16);4043-8
[PubMed:21665975] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Jana Beranová, María C Mansilla, Diego de Mendoza, Dana Elhottová, Ivo Konopásek
Differences in cold adaptation of Bacillus subtilis under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.
J Bacteriol: 2010, 192(16);4164-71
[PubMed:20581210] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Natalia Martin, Esteban Lombardía, Silvia G Altabe, Diego de Mendoza, María C Mansilla
A lipA (yutB) mutant, encoding lipoic acid synthase, provides insight into the interplay between branched-chain and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2009, 191(24);7447-55
[PubMed:19820084] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Anna-Barbara Hachmann, Esther R Angert, John D Helmann
Genetic analysis of factors affecting susceptibility of Bacillus subtilis to daptomycin.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother: 2009, 53(4);1598-609
[PubMed:19164152] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Jana Beranová, Małgorzata Jemioła-Rzemińska, Dana Elhottová, Kazimierz Strzałka, Ivo Konopásek
Metabolic control of the membrane fluidity in Bacillus subtilis during cold adaptation.
Biochim Biophys Acta: 2008, 1778(2);445-53
[PubMed:18154726] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Silvia G Altabe, Pablo Aguilar, Gerardo M Caballero, Diego de Mendoza
The Bacillus subtilis acyl lipid desaturase is a delta5 desaturase.
J Bacteriol: 2003, 185(10);3228-31
[PubMed:12730185] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Carsten L Beckering, Leif Steil, Michael H W Weber, Uwe Völker, Mohamed A Marahiel
Genomewide transcriptional analysis of the cold shock response in Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 2002, 184(22);6395-402
[PubMed:12399512] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Larisa E Cybulski, Daniela Albanesi, María C Mansilla, Silvia Altabe, Pablo S Aguilar, Diego de Mendoza
Mechanism of membrane fluidity optimization: isothermal control of the Bacillus subtilis acyl-lipid desaturase.
Mol Microbiol: 2002, 45(5);1379-88
[PubMed:12207704] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P S Aguilar, A M Hernandez-Arriaga, L E Cybulski, A C Erazo, D de Mendoza
Molecular basis of thermosensing: a two-component signal transduction thermometer in Bacillus subtilis.
EMBO J: 2001, 20(7);1681-91
[PubMed:11285232] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M H Weber, W Klein, L Müller, U M Niess, M A Marahiel
Role of the Bacillus subtilis fatty acid desaturase in membrane adaptation during cold shock.
Mol Microbiol: 2001, 39(5);1321-9
[PubMed:11251847] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P S Aguilar, P Lopez, D de Mendoza
Transcriptional control of the low-temperature-inducible des gene, encoding the delta5 desaturase of Bacillus subtilis.
J Bacteriol: 1999, 181(22);7028-33
[PubMed:10559169] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P S Aguilar, J E Cronan, D de Mendoza
A Bacillus subtilis gene induced by cold shock encodes a membrane phospholipid desaturase.
J Bacteriol: 1998, 180(8);2194-200
[PubMed:9555904] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)