This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sumida-Yasumoto, C. Articles by Doi, R. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sumida-Yasumoto, C. Articles by Doi, R. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1974 February; 117(2): 775-782
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Transcription from the Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid Strands of Bacillus subtilis During Various Stages of Sporulation

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, Davis, California 95616

ABSTRACT

The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) pattern of log-phase and sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis has been analyzed by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-RNA hybrid studies with the complementary-strand fragments of DNA. Approximately 80% of the mRNA of log-phase and sporulating cells from stages I, III, and IV hybridizes with the heavy DNA fragments, and 20% hybridizes with the light DNA fragments. Hybrid competition studies indicated that there was either a greatly reduced rate of transcription or a turn-off of some log-phase genes during the sporulation stages. However, a significant amount of log-phase gene transcription occurred even at late stages of sporulation. Similar studies indicate a significantly increased rate of transcription or a turn-on of sporulation phase genes during the latter stages of sproulation. There is a sequential increase in the amount of sporulation-specific transcription from both complementary-strand fragments of DNA. These results indicate that the RNA polymerase population in sporulating cells can transcribe both log-phase and sporulation-phase genes.