title: Expression of divIB of Bacillus subtilis during vegetative growth.
abstract: Expression of the division initiation gene, divIB, of Bacillus subtilis vegetative growth was examined. lacZ fusion studies and transcription start point mapping have established that a sigma A promoter proximal to divIB is utilized in vivo. The -10 region of this promoter, which is located 93 bp upstream of the start codon, has been defined precisely by site-directed mutagenesis that destroys the promoter. Examination of transcripts by Northern (RNA) blotting has shown that there are at least two transcripts for divIB. The established proximal promoter was found to give rise to a very minor transcript which could not be convincingly demonstrated in wild-type cells but which became apparent upon insertion of a plasmid into the chromosome just upstream of this promoter. The major transcript for divIB originated from a site several kb upstream of the gene and is probably the same as the long polycistronic message also traversing the murD-spoVE-murG genes that was identified previously by others (A.D. Henriques, H. de Lencastre, and P.J. Piggot, Biochimie 74:735-748, 1992). Transcription from the proximal promoter alone, in an upstream-deletion mutant strain, provided sufficient DivIB for normal growth and division as well as sporulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Harry
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Malo
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Wake
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C085861:DivIB protein, Bacillus subtilis; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C081775:RNA polymerase sigma 70; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase