ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LACA GENE ENCODING BETA-GALACTOSIDASE IN BACILLUS-SUBTILIS AND A REGULATOR GENE, LACR

We have isolated transposon insertions in the lacA gene encoding an en dogenous beta-galactosidase of Bacillus subtilis. Upstream of the puta tive operon containing lacA is a negative regulator, lacR, which encod es a product related to a family of regulators that includes the lacto se repressor, lac1, of Escherichia coli. New strains with insertions i n the lacA gene should be of use in studies using lacZ fusions in B. s ubtilis.