title: Vectors that facilitate the replacement of transcriptional lacZ fusions in Streptococcus mutans and Bacillus subtilis with fusions to gfp or gusA.
abstract: Plasmid vectors have been constructed for Streptococcus mutans and Bacillus subtilis that make possible rapid replacement of the widely used reporter gene lacZ (encoding beta-galactosidase) with either gfp (encoding green fluorescent protein) or gusA (encoding beta-glucuronidase). The lacZ-->gfp replacement vectors greatly facilitate the analysis of the spatial location of gene expression in biofilms of S. mutans and in sporulating B. subtilis. The lacZ-->gusA replacement vectors facilitate the comparison of two promoters within the same organism. A vector is also described that enables gusA to be replaced with gfp in B. subtilis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
authors.forename: Vasant K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Chary
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busuioc
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Renye
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Piggot
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D050939:Gene Fusion; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007763:Lac Operon; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D005966:Glucuronidase