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In addition to these requirements, toxin gene expression is under growth phase regulation. The transition state regulator AbrB represses<jats:italic>atxA<\/jats:italic>expression to influence toxin synthesis. During the late exponential phase of growth, when AbrB levels begin to decrease, toxin synthesis increases. Here we report that toxin gene expression also requires the presence of<jats:italic>sigH<\/jats:italic>, a gene encoding the RNA polymerase sigma factor associated with development in<jats:italic>Bacillus subtilis<\/jats:italic>. In the well-studied<jats:italic>B. subtilis<\/jats:italic>system, \u03c3<jats:sup>H<\/jats:sup>is required for sporulation and other post-exponential-phase processes and is part of a feedback control pathway for<jats:italic>abrB<\/jats:italic>expression. Our data indicate that a<jats:italic>Bacillus anthracis sigH<\/jats:italic>-null mutant is asporogenous and toxin deficient. Yet the sigma factor is required for toxin gene expression in a manner that is independent of the pathway leading to post-exponential-phase gene expression. \u03c3<jats:sup>H<\/jats:sup>positively controls<jats:italic>atxA<\/jats:italic>in an AbrB-independent manner. These findings, combined with previous observations, suggest that the steady-state level of<jats:italic>atxA<\/jats:italic>expression is critical for optimal toxin gene transcription. We propose a model whereby, under toxin-inducing growth conditions, control of toxin gene expression is fine-tuned by the independent effects of \u03c3<jats:sup>H<\/jats:sup>and AbrB on the expression of<jats:italic>atxA<\/jats:italic>.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.01333-06","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,12,23]],"date-time":"2006-12-23T01:34:25Z","timestamp":1166837665000},"page":"1874-1883","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":43,"title":["The Alternative Sigma Factor \u03c3<sup>H<\/sup>Is Required for Toxin Gene Expression by<i>Bacillus anthracis<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"189","author":[{"given":"Maria","family":"Hadjifrangiskou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, the University of Texas\u2014Houston Health Science Center Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yahua","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, the University of Texas\u2014Houston Health Science Center Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theresa M.","family":"Koehler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, the University of Texas\u2014Houston Health Science Center Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"235","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1043","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2958.1999.01419.x","volume":"32","year":"1999","unstructured":"Agaisse, H., M. 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