Article: Insertion of bacteriophage SP beta into the citF gene of Bacillus subtilis and specialized transduction of the ilvBC-leu genes

We isolated a strain of Bacillus subtilis in which the SP beta c2 prophage is inserted into the citF (succinate dehydrogenase) gene. Defective specialized transducing particles for the ilvBC-leu genes were isolated from phage-induced lysates of this lysogen. We isolated a group of phages that differ in the amount of genetic material they carry from this region. Also, we incorporated mutant ilv and leu alleles into the genomes of several transducing phages. Our phage collection enables us to identify the cistron of new ilv and leu mutations by complementation analysis. In this process we discovered a fourth leu cistron, leuD. Characterization of the phages confirmed the published gene order: ilvB-ilvC-leuA-leuC-leuB; leuD lies to the right of leuB.

Citing Articles

Screening for Highly Transduced Genes in Staphylococcus aureus Revealed Both Lateral and Specialized Transduction.

Bowring J, Su Y, Alsaadi A, Svenningsen S, Parkhill J, Ingmer H Microbiol Spectr. 2022; 10(1):e0242321.

PMID: 35138167 PMC: 8826898. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02423-21.

Gene inactivation in Lactococcus lactis: branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis.

Godon J, Delorme C, Bardowski J, Chopin M, Ehrlich S, Renault P J Bacteriol. 1993; 175(14):4383-90.

PMID: 8331070 PMC: 204878. DOI: 10.1128/jb.175.14.4383-4390.1993.

Genetics of leucine biosynthesis in Bacillus megaterium QM B1551.

Garbe J, Hess G, Franzen M, Vary P J Bacteriol. 1984; 157(2):454-9.

PMID: 6420390 PMC: 215269. DOI: 10.1128/jb.157.2.454-459.1984.

Specialized transduction in Bacillus subtilis by the phages IG1, IG3, and IG4.

Fernandes R, de Lencastre H, Archer L Arch Virol. 1989; 105(1-2):137-40.

PMID: 2497716 DOI: 10.1007/BF01311124.

Orientation of genes in the Bacillus subtilis chromosome.

Zeigler D, Dean D Genetics. 1990; 125(4):703-8.

PMID: 2118869 PMC: 1204096. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/125.4.703.

References

1.

Somers J, Amzallag A, Middleton R . Genetic fine structure of the leucine operon of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1973; 113(3):1268-72. PMC: 251693. DOI: 10.1128/jb.113.3.1268-1272.1973. View

2.

Ward Jr J, Zahler S . Genetic studies of leucine biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1973; 116(2):719-26. PMC: 285437. DOI: 10.1128/jb.116.2.719-726.1973. View

3.

Zahler S, KORMAN R, Rosenthal R, Hemphill H . Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPbeta: localization of the prophage attachment site, and specialized transduction. J Bacteriol. 1977; 129(1):556-8. PMC: 234961. DOI: 10.1128/jb.129.1.556-558.1977. View

4.

Nomura M, Morgan E . Genetics of bacterial ribosomes. Annu Rev Genet. 1977; 11:297-347. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ge.11.120177.001501. View

5.

Kawamura F, Saito H, Ikeda Y . A method for construction of specialized transducing phage rho 11 of Bacillus subtilis. Gene. 1979; 5(2):87-91. DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(79)90095-7. View

6.

Moir A, Lafferty E, Smith D . Genetics analysis of spore germination mutants of Bacillus subtilis 168: the correlation of phenotype with map location. J Gen Microbiol. 1979; 111(1):165-80. DOI: 10.1099/00221287-111-1-165. View

7.

Rosenthal R, Toye P, KORMAN R, Zahler S . The prophage of SP beta c2dcitK1, A defective specialized transducing phage of Bacillus subtilis. Genetics. 1979; 92(3):721-39. PMC: 1214032. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/92.3.721. View

8.

Iijima T, Kawamura F, Saito H, Ikeda Y . A specialized transducing phage constructed from Bacillus subtilis phage phi 105. Gene. 1980; 9(1-2):115-26. DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(80)90170-5. View

9.

Hederstedt L, Rutberg L . Biosynthesis and membrane binding of succinate dehydrogenase in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1980; 144(3):941-51. PMC: 294756. DOI: 10.1128/jb.144.3.941-951.1980. View

10.

Hemphill H, Gage I, Zahler S, KORMAN R . Prophage-mediated production of a bacteriocinlike substance by SP beta lysogens of Bacillus subtilis. Can J Microbiol. 1980; 26(11):1328-33. DOI: 10.1139/m80-220. View

11.

Fink P, Zahler S . Specialized transduction of the ilvD-thyB-ilvA region mediated by Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SP beta. J Bacteriol. 1982; 150(3):1274-9. PMC: 216350. DOI: 10.1128/jb.150.3.1274-1279.1982. View

Insertion of Bacteriophage SP Beta into the CitF Gene of Bacillus Subtilis and Specialized Transduction of the IlvBC-leu Genes