General Stress Transcription Factor ς B and Sporulation Transcription Factor ς H Each Contribute to Survival of Bacillus subtilis under Extreme Growth Conditions

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Abstract
The general stress response of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the ς B transcription factor. Here we show that loss of ς B reduces stationary-phase viability 10-fold in either alkaline or acidic media and reduces cell yield in media containing ethanol. We further show that loss of the developmental transcription factor ς H also has a marked effect on stationary-phase viability under these conditions and that this effect is independent from the simple loss of sporulation ability.