A BACILLUS-SUBTILIS BGLA GENE ENCODING PHOSPHO-BETA-GLUCOSIDASE IS INDUCIBLE AND CLOSELY LINKED TO A NADH DEHYDROGENASE-ENCODING GENE

A 2.7-kb HindIII fragment from Bacillus subtilis contains an open read ing frame (ORF) encoding a protein with homology to an Escherichia col i phospho-P-glucosidase B (PBG B). The B. subtilis gene was induced by aromatic P-glucosides, as judged by Northern hybridization and could complement an E. coli bglB mutant. Immediately downstream from this B. subtilis bglA gene, there was a partial ORF on the opposite strand wh ich encoded a polypeptide with extensive homology to NADH dehydrogenas e from an alkalophilic Bacillus. These genes were mapped to 340 degree s between hut and gnt on the B. subtilis chromosome. Disruption of the se genes by insertion of a neomycin-resistance-encoding gene (neo) did not result in any phenotypic changes comparable to those found in E. coli mutants.