CLONING, NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE, AND REGULATION OF THE BACILLUS-SUBTILISPBPF GENE, WHICH CODES FOR A PUTATIVE CLASS-A HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEIN

The partial nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding a Bacillus subtilis homolog to the Escherichia coli ponA gene, encoding penicillin-bindin g protein IA, was previously reported. The remaining part of this gene , termed pbpF, was isolated, and its nucleotide sequence was completed . Deletion of this gene did not alter the profile of B. subtilis penic illin-binding proteins observed after gel electrophoresis and resulted in no observable phenotype. A transcriptional pbpF-lacZ fusion was we akly expressed during vegetative growth. Expression diminished during the first hours of sporulation but was slightly induced in the forespo re compartment during late sporulation. This sporulation expression wa s dependent on spoIIIG, which encodes the forespore-specific transcrip tion factor sigma(G). A single transcription start site which was appa rently directly dependent on Esigma(A) was detected in vegetative cell s.