Evaluation of the effect of salinity on tRNACys processing during Bacillus subtilis spore germination using RNA-seq

In its natural habitat, the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis is exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions, mainly osmotic stress and nutrient deficiency stress (Marles-Wright and Lewis, 2007; Schultz et al., 2007). When nutrients are depleted, this bacterium generates spores that germinate to form vegetative cells when nutrients become available again in the medium (Bremer, 2002). In this regard, the molecular mechanisms of tRNA accumulation during sporulation are a priority, as they play an essential role in translation during spore germination and its subsequent growth phase (Keijser et al., 2007). The effects of salt stress on gene expression have been previously analyzed during germination and growth. However, the processing of tRNAs under these conditions has not been extensively studied. In this study we investigated the profile of tRNACys in B. subtilis spores and growth in the absence/presence of 1.2M NaCl.