REGULATION OF THE EXPRESSION OF A GENE ENCODING BETA-ENDOGLUCANASE SECRETED BY MYXOCOCCUS-XANTHUS DURING GROWTH - ROLE OF GENES INVOLVED INDEVELOPMENTAL REGULATION

An endoglucanase, CelA, is secreted by Myxococcus xanthus only during exponential growth. The production of this enzyme is decreased by muta tions in 5 different genes (Exc(+/-) phenotype), three of which corres pond to asg genes which regulate the production of an early cell-to-ce ll signal in development. Transcription of celA is decreased in two of these Exc(+/-) mutants, whereas a post-transcriptional step is affect ed in two other Exc(-) mutants. Thus, asg genes, in addition to regula ting the onset of development, also regulate a gene (celA) that is exp ressed during exponential growth and that is not involved in developme nt.