Cloning of Sporulation Gene spoIIC in Bacillus subtilis

1 Department of Applied Biochemistry, Hiroshima University, Fukuyama 720, Japan 2 Department of Fermentation Technology, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 724, Japan 3 Institute of Applied Microbiology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113, Japan ABSTRACT Summary: Specialized transducing phages 11 spoIIC and ø105 spoIIC , carrying the Bacillus subtilis sporulation gene spoIIC , were constructed by the prophage transformation method. An Eco RI fragment (2·4 MDal) carrying the spoIIC gene was isolated from the ø105 spoIIC genome and recloned into the Eco RI site of plasmid pUB110. The recombinant plasmids corrected the sporulation defect of a Spo – Rec – host, but slightly inhibited the sporulation of a Spo + Rec – host. On leave from the Department of Fermentation Technology, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 724, Japan.