Transcriptional analysis of three Bacillus subtilis genes coding for proteins with the alpha-crystallin domain characteristic of small heat shock proteins

In silico analysis of the complete Bacillus subtilis genome revealed the pr esence of three genes whose deduced amino acid sequences exhibit an alpha - crystallin domain characteristic for the family of small heat shock protein s: cotM (which has already been identified [Henriques et al. (1997) J. Bact eriol 179, 1587-1897]), yocM, and cotP (formerly ydfT). Analysis of the exp ression of all three genes by slot-blot experiments and by transcriptional fusions revealed that none of them was heat-inducible. Transcription of cot P was induced late during sporulation by the sporulation-specific sigma fac tor sigma (K) and negatively controlled by the GerE repressor. No expressio n of the yocM gene was found under all standard laboratory conditions teste d. Both a cotP knockout mutant as well as a cotM cotP double knockout turne d out to be viable and form spores and exhibited no germination defect. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.