The GerMN domain is a region of approximately 100 residues that is found, duplicated, in the Bacillus GerM protein and is implicated in both sporulation and spore germination. The domain is found in a number of different bacterial species both alone and in association with other domains such as Amidase_3 PF01520 Gmad1 and Gmad2. It is predicted to have a novel alpha-beta fold.
The GerMN domain is a region of approximately 100 residues that is found, duplicated, in the Bacillus GerM protein and is implicated in both sporulation and spore germination. It is also found in lipoprotein LpqB. The domain is present in a number of different bacterial species both alone and in association with other domains such as Gmad1 and Gmad2. It is predicted to have a novel alpha-beta fold.
Family alignment:
There are 8794 Germane domains in 7186 proteins in SMART's nrdb database.
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Evolution (species in which this domain is found)
Taxonomic distribution of proteins containing Germane domain.
This tree includes only several representative species. The complete taxonomic breakdown of all proteins with Germane domain is also avaliable.
Click on the protein counts, or double click on taxonomic names to display all proteins containing Germane domain in the selected taxonomic class.
The germination of dormant spores of Bacillus species is the first crucialstep in the return of spores to vegetative growth, and is induced bynutrients and a variety of non-nutrient agents. Nutrient germinants bindto receptors in the spore's inner membrane and this interaction triggersthe release of the spore core's huge depot of dipicolinic acid andcations, and replacement of these components by water. These latter eventstrigger the hydrolysis of the spore's peptidoglycan cortex by either oftwo redundant enzymes in B. subtilis, and completion of cortex hydrolysisand subsequent germ cell wall expansion allows full spore core hydrationand resumption of spore metabolism and macromolecular synthesis.
Molecular genetical and phenotypical analysis of the gerM sporegermination gene of Bacillus subtilis 168.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1994; 121: 315-20
Display abstract
The gerM gene, encoding a single product of 22.5 kDa, has been identifiedby subcloning and sequencing of DNA recovered from adjacent to a Tn917insertion. The gene product has a potential lipoprotein signal sequence,but otherwise has no homology to known sequences. Spores of the gerMmutant were more heat sensitive than wild-type, but their dipicolinic acidcontent was normal. The level of cortical peptidoglycan in mutant sporesis also normal but release at germination of hexosamine-containingfragments, the breakdown products of cortex degradation, is less completethan wild-type. The sporulation, resistance and germination phenotypes ofthe gerM mutant would be consistent with the gene product having a role,either directly or indirectly, in peptidoglycan synthesis duringsporulation.
