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Sporulation gene spoIIB from Bacillus subtilis

P S Margolis1, A Driks, R Losick

  • 1Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Journal of Bacteriology
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

The Bacillus subtilis spoIIB gene plays a minor role in sporulation alone but severely blocks spore formation when mutated alongside spoVG, impacting septum maturation.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bacterial Genetics

Background:

  • The sporulation process in Bacillus subtilis is complex, involving numerous genes.
  • The gene spoIIB's precise role in sporulation has been unclear.
  • Gene order and transcriptional orientation around spoIIB were previously partially analyzed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clone and characterize the Bacillus subtilis sporulation gene spoIIB.
  • To determine the genetic organization and transcriptional control of spoIIB.
  • To elucidate the function of spoIIB in bacterial spore formation.

Main Methods:

  • Gene cloning and characterization of spoIIB from Bacillus subtilis.
  • Nucleotide sequence analysis to determine gene order and orientation.
  • Construction and analysis of spoIIB and spoVG mutations in Bacillus subtilis.
  • Phenotypic analysis of sporulation defects in mutant strains.

Main Results:

  • The gene order and orientation around spoIIB were confirmed: valS-folC-comC-spoIIB-orfA-orfB-mreB-mreC-mreD-minC-minD-spoIVFA-spoIVFB-L20-orfX-L24-spoOB-obg-pheB-pheA.
  • spoIIB encodes a 36-kDa polypeptide with potential transmembrane properties.
  • spoIIB null mutations caused only mild sporulation defects in wild-type Bacillus subtilis.
  • Combined spoIIB and spoVG mutations resulted in a severe block at stage II of sporulation (septum formation).

Conclusions:

  • spoIIB is a sporulation-controlled gene with a limited individual role in Bacillus subtilis spore formation.
  • spoIIB acts synergistically with spoVG to regulate septum maturation during sporulation.
  • The spoIIB spoVG phenotype provides insights into the coordination of septum development and transcription factor activation (sigma F and sigma E).

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