A negative regulator linking chromosome segregation to developmental transcription inBacillus subtilis

Abstract
The Spo0JA and Spo0JB proteins of Bacillus subtilis are similar to the ParA and ParB plasmid‐partitioning proteins, respectively, and mutation of spo0JB prevents the expression of stage II genes of sporulation. This phenotype is a consequence of Spo0JA activity in the absence of Spo0JB, and its basis was unknown. In the studies reported here, Spo0JA was found specifically to dissociate transcription initiation complexes formed in vitro by the phosphorylated sporulation transcription factor Spo0A and RNA polymerase with the spoIIG promoter. This repressor‐like activity is likely to be the basis for preventing the onset of differentiation in vivo. Spo0JB is known to neutralize Spo0JA activity in vivo and also to interact with a mitotic‐like apparatus responsible for chromosome partitioning. These data suggest that Spo0JA and Spo0JB form a regulatory link between chromosome partition and development gene expression.

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