The gene encoding thymidylate synthase A (thyA) was cloned from a genomic library of Bacillus subtilis 168. The sequence of thyA was found to be highly similar to that of the phage phi 3T thymidylate synthase gene. This similarity is, however, limited to about 862 nucleotides, spanning the coding region and the adjacent 3' region. The flanking sequences are not related. An integrative plasmid c...

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 1496 bp stretch of Bacillus subtilis chromosome that complements the gerE36 mutation. The sequence contains three open reading frames. One of these is part of the sdhC gene, the other two, whose functions are unknown, are capable of encoding proteins with Mr values of approximately 17,000 and 8500. The use of integrational plasmids to delimit the ...

The addition of saturated C6, C8, C10, and C12 fatty acids appeared to lyse actively growing cells of Bacillus subtilis 168, as judged by a decrease in the optical density of the culture. Of these fatty acids, dodecanoic acid was the most effective, with 50% lysis occurring in about 30 min at a concentration of 0.5 mM. These conditions also decreased the amount of peptidoglycan estimated by the...

To optimize Bacillus subtilis as a production strain for proteins and low molecular substances by genome engineering, we developed a markerless gene deletion system. We took advantage of a general property of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS), in particular the mannose PTS. Mannose is phosphorylated during uptake by its specific transporter (ManP) to mannose 6-ph...