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Spore control (Sco) mutations in Bacillus subtilis

IV. Synthesis of alkaline phosphatase during sporulation of Sco mutants

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Summary

Alkaline phosphatase synthesis can be derepressed by allowing B. subtilis strains to sporulate in a synthetic replacement medium containing low amounts of inorganic phosphate. Maximum activity was obtained around t 7in media containing 10−4M phosphate or less. Most of the strains carrying spore control (Sco) mutations (including Sco A1, ScoB2 and ScoC) lead to the production of three times more alkaline phosphatase than isogenic Sco +strains. This difference is specific for sporulation since in derepressed vegetative cells enzyme synthesis proceeds at the same rate in wild type and mutant cells. Overproduction of protease and of phosphatase are due to the same mutations. This confirms the pleiotropic nature of the Sco mutations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Microbiologie, C.N.R.S., Montpellier, France

    V. Jeannoda & G. Balassa

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  1. V. Jeannoda
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  2. G. Balassa
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Communicated by F. Gros

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Jeannoda, V., Balassa, G. Spore control (Sco) mutations in Bacillus subtilis . Molec. Gen. Genet. 163, 65–73 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268965

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268965

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