All seven comG open reading frames are required for DNA binding during transformation of competent Bacillus subtilis

The seven proteins encoded by the comG operon of Bacillus subtilis exhibit similarity to gene products required for the assembly of type 4 pili and for the secretion of certain proteins in gram-negative bacteria. Although polar transposon insertions in comG result in the loss of transformability and in the failure of cells grown through the competence regimen to bind DNA, it was not known whether the ComG proteins are all required for competence. We have constructed strains missing each of these proteins individually and found that they are all nontransformable and fail to bind transforming DNA to the cell surface. The implications of these findings are discussed.