The Bacillus subtilis genome sequence: the molecular blueprint of a soil bacterium

The rate at which entire microbial genomes are being sequenced has accelera ted rapidly over the past two years, promising to revolutionise our underst anding of microbial molecular biology and genetics. The Bacillus subtilis g enome sequence is the first complete genome of a free-living soil and rhizo sphere bacterium. Data derived from the genome sequence and the systematic functional analysis programme, together with the wealth of knowledge alread y available for this organism, open up new opportunities to study the behav iour and ecology of this soil and plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium at the molecular level. Ln this review we examine the Bacillus subtilis 168 ge nome sequence in the light of clues it might provide for the role of this s pecies in natural environments and discuss suitable methods for applying th e available data and resources to the study of this and related organisms i n natural systems. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societie s. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.