THE DEGA GENE-PRODUCT ACCELERATES DEGRADATION OF BACILLUS-SUBTILIS PHOSPHORIBOSYLPYROPHOSPHATE AMIDOTRANSFERASE IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI

A search for genes involved in the inactivation and degradation of enz ymes in sporulating Bacillus subtilis led to identification of the B. subtilis degA gene, whose product stimulates degradation of B. subtili s glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase in Escherichi a coli cells. degA encodes a 36.7-kDa protein that has sequence simila rity to several E. coli and B. subtilis regulatory proteins of the Lac I class. B. subtilis degA=cat insertional inactivation mutants had no detectable defect in the inactivation or degradation of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase in glucose- or lysine-starved B. subtil is cells, however. We suggest that degA encodes either a novel proteas e or, more likely, a gene that stimulates production of such a proteas e.