CELL-DIVISION AND TRANSCRIPTION OF FTSZ

For normal cell division, the ftsZ gene must be transcribed from a num ber of promoters that are located within the proximal upstream genes ( ddlB, ftsQ, and ftsA). We show that the main promoters have identical responses to changes in growth rate, i.e., under all conditions, the f requency of transcription per septum formed is approximately constant and independent of cell size or growth rate per se. We also show that transcription from these promoters is independent of stationary-phase transcription factor sigma(s).