DELINEATION OF ABRB-BINDING SITES ON THE BACILLUS-SUBTILIS SPO0H, KINB, FTSAZ AND PBPE PROMOTERS AND USE OF A DERIVED HOMOLOGY TO IDENTIFY A PREVIOUSLY UNSUSPECTED BINDING-SITE IN THE BSUB1 METHYLASE PROMOTER

DNase I footprinting experiments showed that AbrB binds to the regulatory regions of the spo0H, kinB,ftsAZ, and pbpE genes. A conserved motif was found in these and other AbrB-binding sites. A search for Bacillus subtilis DNA sequences containing this motif led to the prediction that AbrB would bind to the promoter controlling the bsuB1 methylase gene. DNase I footprinting experiments confirmed this prediction.