E. Borezee et al., Identification in Listeria monocytogenes of MecA, a homologue of the Bacillus subtilis competence regulatory protein, J BACT, 182(20), 2000, pp. 5931-5934
We identified in Listeria monocytogenes a gene encoding a protein homologou
s to MecA, a regulatory protein acting with ClpC and ComK in the competence
pathway of Bacillus subtilis. In L. monocytogenes, MecA is involved, along
with ClpC and ClpP, in the downregulation of a 64-kDa secreted protein. In
B. subtilis, the MecA protein of L. monocytogenes behaves as a regulatory
protein, controlling the transcription of comK and comG. Complete or disrup
ted ComK homologues mere also found in L. monocytogenes. However, we failed
to detect competence in various strains of L. monocytogenes, including tho
se with intact ComK. Our results suggest that the functions of MecA in the
saprophytes L. monocytogenes and B. subtilis have presumably diverged in re
sponse to their respective ecological niches.