Summary
The kinetics of development of heat-resistant spores and the synthesis of extracellular proteases were followed in sporulating cultures of spore control (Sco) mutants. Spore formation was delayed by one to several hours in ScoA, ScoB, ScoD and Sco12 strains but not in ScoC or ScoC-ScoD strains. Overproduction of extracellular proteases was observed, to various degrees, in all the mutants. The highest values, 3–10 times that of the wild type strains, were found with ScoC mutants. Protease synthesis proceeds in the wild type at a linear rate for about five hours. Some of the mutants (e.g. ScoC) show the same kinetics of enzyme synthesis but at a higher rate while others (e.g. ScoA1) synthesize protease linearly at a normal rate but for a much longer period.
The alkaline seryl protease and the neutral metallo protease were separated by chromatography and identified by the use of a specific inhibitor. They contribute about 70% and 30% of the total activity respectively and are overproduced in the same proportions by Sco mutants. A sporulation-independent exoenzyme, α-amylase, is formed in normal amounts. The pleiotropic nature of the Sco mutants is discussed.
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Dod, B., Balassa, G., Raulet, E. et al. Spore control (Sco) mutations in Bacillus subtilis . Molec. Gen. Genet. 163, 45–56 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268963
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268963