title: Accidental selection and intentional restoration of sporulation-deficient Bacillus anthracis mutants.
abstract: We demonstrate the frequent accidental enrichment of spontaneous sporulation-deficient mutants of Bacillus anthracis on solid medium and identify contributing factors. Mutations in spo0A, encoding the master regulator of sporulation initiation, were found in 38 of 53 mutants. Transductions using bacteriophage CP51 propagated on sporogenic bacteria allowed for the restoration of sporulation phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacterial Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3202, USA.
authors.forename: Inka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sastalla
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rosovitz
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Leppla
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001435:Bacteriophages; D003470:Culture Media; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D014157:Transcription Factors