摘要

Here we report that in Streptomyces coelicolor, the protein stability of an ECF sigma factor SigT, which is involved in the negative regulation of cell differentiation, was completely dependent on its cognate anti-sigma factor RstA. The degradation of RstA caused a ClpP/SsrA-dependent degradation of SigT during cell differentiation. This was consistent with the delayed morphological development or secondary metabolism in the Delta clpP background after rstA deletion or sigT overexpression. Meanwhile, SigT negatively regulated clpP/ssrA expression by directly binding to the clpP promoter (clpPp). The SigT-clpPp interaction could be disrupted by secondary metabolites, giving rise to the stabilized SigT protein and retarded morphological development in a non-antibiotic-producing mutant. Thus a novel regulatory mechanism was revealed that the protein degradation of the ECF sigma factor was initiated by the degradation of its anti-sigma factor, and was accelerated in a dual positive feedback manner, through regulation by secondary metabolites, to promote rapid and irreversible development of the secondary metabolism. This ingenious cooperation of intracellular components can ensure economical and exquisite control of the ECF sigma factor protein level for the proper cell differentiation in Streptomyces.