title: Use of lacZ gene fusions to determine the dependence pattern of the sporulation gene spoIID in spo mutants of Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: The spoIID gene, which is involved in Bacillus subtilis sporulation, was fused to the beta-galactosidase gene, lacZ, of Escherichia coli so that the expression of beta-galactosidase would be under the control of the spoIID locus. When the fused product was inserted into the B. subtilis chromosome, production of beta-galactosidase indicated that the spoIID gene was expressed 1.5 h after the start of sporulation. When the spoIID::lacZ fusion was inserted into the chromosome of sporulation mutants, all strains carrying spo0 lesions and those with mutations in spoIIA, spoIIE and spoIIG loci failed to make beta-galactosidase. The proposed provisional order of expression of operons governing stage II is spoIIA----[spoIIG, spoIIE]----[spoIID, spoIIB, spoIIF].
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005696:Galactosidases / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D009154:Mutation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005696:Galactosidases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase