The spoIIIA locus is not a major determinant of prespore-specific gene expression during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.
During sporulation in Bacillus subtilis, expression of several prespore-specific genes is strongly dependent on the spoIIIE and spoIIIG gene products. Previous reports have also indicated a requirement for the products of the spoIIIA locus. However, we have now systematically studied six different well-defined spoIIIA mutations and find that, relative to spoIIIE and spoIIIG mutations, they have only a minor effect on the expression of two different prespore-specific genes, spoVA and sspA. Moreover, we have shown that strain IS37, which has been used as a spoIIIA mutant in several previous studies, actually contains a lesion in the spo0A gene. We conclude that spoIIIA has a relatively minor or indirect role in the regulation of prespore-specific gene expression.
Illing
N
N
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Errington
J
J
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics; D013171:Spores, Bacterial
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor