BACILLUS-SUBTILIS GENOME PROJECT - CLONING AND SEQUENCING OF THE 97KBREGION FROM 325-DEGREES TO 333 DEGREES

In the framework of the European project aimed at the sequencing of th e Bacillus subtilis genome the DNA region located between gerB (314-de grees) and sacXY (333-degrees) was assigned to the Institut Pasteur. I n this paper we describe the cloning and sequencing of a segment of 97 kb of contiguous DNA. Ninety-two open reading frames were predicted to encode putative proteins among which only forty-two were found to dis play significant similarities to known proteins present in databanks, e.g. amino acid permeases, proteins involved in cell wall or antibioti c biosynthesis, various regulatory proteins, proteins of several dehyd rogenase families and enzymes II of the phosphotransferase system invo lved in sugar transport. Additional experiments led to the identificat ion of the products of new B. subtilis genes, e.g. galactokinase and a n operon involved in thiamine biosynthesis.