The Bacillus subtilis small cytoplasmic RNA gene and 'dnaX' map near the chromosomal replication origin

The Bacillus subtilis small cytoplasmic RNA (scRNA) has an important, although not yet defined function in protein biosynthesis. Here we describe the mapping of the single copy scRNA gene and the flanking homolog to dnaZX of Escherichia coli, termed 'dnaX'. The scRNA gene region of a B. subtilis wild-type strain was marked with a cat gene and mapped by scoring chromosomal cotransformation rates of various mutant strains to chloramphenicol resistance and loss of the mutant phenotypes, respectively. This analysis, together with an EcoRI map comparison, places the scRNA gene and dnaX in the vicinity of recM near the replication origin region of B. subtilis.