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R Schuch

Publications and source records attributed to R Schuch.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The dacF-spoIIA operon of Bacillus subtilis, encoding sigma F, is autoregulated.

The spoIIA operon of Bacillus subtilis encodes sigma F and two proteins that may regulate sigma factor activity. High level induction of the tricistronic spoIIA operon occurs early during spore formation. At later times, the locus is cotranscribed with the upstream gene dacF, which encodes a putative DD-carboxypeptidase. In this study, the regulation of dacF-spoIIA transcription has been analyzed. Expression of a dacF-lacZ transcriptional fusion during sporulation required sigma F but not the later-expressed sporulation-associated sigma factors. Induction of sigma F synthesis during vegetative growth caused expression of dacF-lacZ fusions. The dacF-spoIIA promoter sequence is similar to sequences of previously identified sigma F promoters. It is concluded that dacF-spoIIA is transcribed by E sigma F. We present evidence that dacF-spoIIA is also transcribed by E sigma G, as is the case for the three other promoters known to be transcribed by E sigma F.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Characterization of a Bacillus subtilis sporulation operon that includes genes for an RNA polymerase sigma factor and for a putative DD-carboxypeptidase.

At early stages of sporulation, the spoIIA locus is transcribed as a tricistronic (1.7-kb) operon, coding for sigma F and for two proteins that modulate the activity of sigma F. The locus is transcribed as a longer (2.9-kb) transcript at the late stages of sporulation. We show here that the longer transcript contains an additional open reading frame whose product has extensive sequence homology with DD-carboxypeptidases; the corresponding gene is designated dacF. Cotranscription of a morphogene, such as dacF, with the gene for a sigma factor suggests a way to couple transcription regulation with morphogenesis. The predicted N-terminal sequence of the DacF protein and the inhibition of sporulation by a translational dacF-lacZ fusion both suggest that the protein has a signal peptide for transport into or across a membrane. Expression of a dacF-lacZ transcriptional fusion was in the forespore. The 5' end of the 2.9-kb transcript was determined by primer extension analysis. The region 5' to the end showed no homology to promoters recognized by known sigma factors but was homologous to the corresponding region of the forespore-specific 0.3-kb gene of Bacillus subtilis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗