title: Spectinomycin-resistant mutants of Bacillus subtilis with altered sporulation properties.
abstract: Spectinomycin-resistant mutants of Bacillus subtilis show three different types of alterations in sporulation ability. Class 1 mutants can both grow and sporulate in the presence of spectinomycin. Class 2 mutants can grow in the presence of spectinomycin, but are unable to sporulate in either the presence or absence of spectinomycin. Class 3 mutants have a conditional phenotype, and are able to sporulate in the absence of spectinomycin, but not in its presence. The ability of these strains to produce alkaline phosphatase, a biochemical marker for early sporulation events, is correlated with the ability to sporulate in the presence or absence of antibiotic. All of the spectinomycin-resistance mutations could be genetically linked to the cysA marker, and a mutational alteration of a protein of the 30S ribosomal subunit has been identified in one of the Class 3 strains (Spc 1-11). Fine-structure mapping of the spectinomycin resistance mutation of strain Spc 1-11 confirmed its location in the cluster of genes for ribosomal components on the B. subtilis genetic map. Genetic analysis indicated that the properties of the Class 1 and Class 2 mutants result from more than one mutation. The spectinomycin-resistance and altered sporulation properties of the two Class 3 mutants probably result from a single genetic lesion.
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D000198:Spectinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000198:Spectinomycin