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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2001, p. 4814-4822, Vol. 183, No. 16
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.16.4814-4822.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Developmental Gene Expression in Bacillus subtilis crsA47 Mutants Reveals Glucose-Activated Control of the Gene for the Minor Sigma Factor ^H

Laurie G. Dixon,^1, Steve Seredick,¹ Martin Richer,¹ and George B. Spiegelman^1,2,*

Departments of Microbiology and Immunology¹ and Medical Genetics,² University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Received 22 November 2000/Accepted 30 May 2001

The presence of excess glucose in growth media prevents normal sporulation of Bacillus subtilis. The crsA47 mutation, located in the gene for the vegetative phase sigma factor (^A) results in a glucose-resistant sporulation phenotype. As part of a study of the mechanisms whereby the mutation in ^A overcomes glucose repression of sporulation, we examined the expression of genes involved in sporulation initiation in the crsA47 background. The crsA47 mutation had a significant impact on a variety of genes. Changes to stage II gene expression could be linked to alterations in the expression of the sinI and sinR genes. In addition, there was a dramatic increase in the expression of genes dependent on the minor sigma factor ^H. This latter change was paralleled by the pattern of spo0H gene transcription in cells with the crsA47 mutation. In vitro analysis of RNA polymerase containing ^A47 indicated that it did not have unusually high affinity for the spo0H gene promoter. The in vivo pattern of spo0H expression is not predicted by the known regulatory constraints on spo0H and suggests novel regulation mechanisms that are revealed in the crsA47 background.

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^* Corresponding author. Mailing address: 6174 University Blvd., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3. Phone: (604) 822-2036. Fax: (604) 822-6041. E-mail: spie{at}interchange.ubc.ca.

Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2001, p. 4814-4822, Vol. 183, No. 16
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.16.4814-4822.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

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