CLONING, NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE, MUTAGENESIS, AND MAPPING OF THE BACILLUS-SUBTILIS PBPD GENE, WHICH CODES FOR PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEIN-4

The gene encoding penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP 4) of Bacillus subtilis, pbpD, was cloned by two independent methods. PBP 4 was purified and the amino acid sequence of a cyanogen bromide digestion product was used to design an oligonucleotide probe for identification of the gene. An oligonucleotide probe designed to hybridize to genes encoding class A high-molecular-weight PBPs also identified this gene. DNA sequence analysis of the cloned DNA revealed that (i) the amino acid sequence of PBP 4 was similar to those of other class A high-molecular-weight PBPs and (ii) pbpD appeared to be cotranscribed with a downstream gene (termed orf2) of unknown function. The orf2 gene is followed by an apparent non-protein-coding region which exhibits nucleotide sequence similarity with at least two other regions of the chromosome and which has a high potential for secondary structure formation. Mutations in pbpD resulted in the disappearance of PBP 4 but had no obvious effect on growth, cell division, sporulation, spore heat resistance, or spore germination. Expression of a transcriptional fusion of pbpD to lacZ increased throughout growth, decreased during sporulation, and was induced approximately 45 min into spore germination. A single transcription start site was detected just upstream of pbpD. The pbpD locus was mapped to the 275 to 280 degrees region of the chromosomal genetic map.