The complete genome sequence of the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis is the best-characterized member of the Gram-positive bacteria. Its genome of 4,214,810 base pairs comprises 4,100 protein-coding genes. Of these protein-coding genes, 53% are represented once, while a quarter of the genome corresponds to several gene families that have been greatly expanded by gene duplication, the largest family containing 77 putative ATP-binding transport proteins. In addition, a large proportion of the genetic capacity is devoted to the utilization of a variety of carbon sources, including many plant-derived molecules. The identification of five signal peptidase genes, as well as several genes for components of the secretion apparatus, is important given the capacity of Bacillus strains to secrete large amounts of industrially important enzymes. Many of the genes are involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, that are more typically associated with Streptomyces species. The genome contains at least ten prophages or remnants of prophages, indicating that bacteriophage infection has played an important evolutionary role in horizontal gene transfer, in particular in the propagation of bacterial pathogenesis.

Organization of the Bacillus subtilis 168 chromosome between kdg and the attachment site of the SP beta prophage: use of Long Accurate PCR and yeast artificial chromosomes for sequencing.

Within the Bacillus subtilis genome sequencing project, the region between lysA and ilvA was assigned to our laboratory. In this report we present the sequence of the last 36 kb of this region, between the kdg operon and the attachment site of the SP beta prophage. A two-step strategy was used for the sequencing. In the first step, total chromosomal DNA was cloned in phage M13-based vectors and the clones carrying inserts from the target region were identified by hybridization with a cognate yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) from our collection. Sequencing of the clones allowed us to establish a number of contigs. In the second step the contigs were mapped by Long Accurate (LA) PCR and the remaining gaps closed by sequencing of the PCR products. The level of sequence inaccuracy due to LA PCR errors appeared to be about 1 in 10,000, which does not affect significantly the final sequence quality. This two-step strategy is efficient and we suggest that it can be applied to sequencing of longer chromosomal regions. The 36 kb sequence contains 38 coding sequences (CDSs), 19 of which encode unknown proteins. Seven genetic loci already mapped in this region, xpt, metB, ilvA, ilvD, thyB, dfrA and degR were identified. Eleven CDSs were found to display significant similarities to known proteins from the data banks, suggesting possible functions for some of the novel genes: cspD may encode a cold shock protein; bcsA, the first bacterial homologue of chalcone synthase; exol, a 5' to 3' exonuclease, similar to that of DNA polymerase I of Escherichia coli; and bsaA, a stress-response-associated protein. The protein encoded by yplP has homology with the transcriptional NifA-like regulators. The arrangement of the genes relative to possible promoters and terminators suggests 19 potential transcription units.

Sequence analysis of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome region between the serA and kdg loci cloned in a yeast artificial chromosome.

The standard strategies of genome sequencing based on lambda-vector or cosmid libraries are only partially applicable to AT-rich Gram-positive bacteria because of the problem of instability of their chromosomal DNA in heterologous hosts like Escherichia coli. One complete collection of ordered clones known for such bacteria is that of Bacillus subtilis, established by using yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs). This paper reports the results of the direct use of one of the YAC clones from the above collection for the sequencing of the region cloned in it. The strategy applied consisted of the following: (i) construction of M13 banks of the partially purified YAC DNA and sequencing of 800 M13 clones chosen at random; (ii) directed selection of M13 clones to sequence by using marginal contig fragments as hybridization probes; (iii) direct sequencing of joining PCR fragments obtained by combinations of primers corresponding to the ends of representative contigs. The complete 104,109 bp insert sequence of this YAC clone was thus established. The strategy used allowed us to avoid resequencing the two largest, previously sequenced, contigs (13,695 and 20,303 bp) of the YAC insert. We propose that the strategy used can be applied to the sequencing of the whole bacterial genome without intermediate cloning, as well as for larger inserts of eukaryotic origin cloned in YACs. Sequencing of the insert of the YAC clone 15-6B allowed us to establish the contiguous sequence of 127 kb from spollA to kdg. The organization of the newly determined region is presented. Of the 138 ORFs identified in the spollA-kdg region, 57 have no clear putative function from their homology to proteins in the databases.

A new approach using multiplex long accurate PCR and yeast artificial chromosomes for bacterial chromosome mapping and sequencing.

An efficient approach for structural studies on bacterial chromosomes is presented. It is based on high-resolution PCR map construction by using a multiplex long accurate PCR (MLA PCR) protocol and a YAC clone carrying the region to be mapped as indicator. The high-resolution PCR map of the bacillus subtilis rrnB-dnaB region is presented as an example. Data are also presented on the use of DNA generated by LA PCR for sequencing; they are relevant to LA PCR induced mutations and justify the application of such mapping for sequencing long stretches of bacterial chromosomes.

Specificity of insertion of Tn1545 transposon family in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.

A collection of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains carrying a derivative of Tn1545 inserted in the chromosome was generated. Some 34 insertions were cloned in Escherichia coli and the flanking DNA sequences determined. Insertions are distributed non randomly and several hot spots were observed. The hot spots do not have sequence features which would distinguish them from other insertion sites, suggesting that they may have special structural properties. Insertions in open reading frames occurred at a far lower frequency than expected for random transposition and were most often located near potential terminator and promoter sequences. Different mutations in the extremities of the transposon do not affect the specificity of insertion. We suggest that target specificity is mainly due to the properties of the intergrase itself.

Insertion and amplification of foreign genes in the Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis chromosome.

The plasmid pE194 is unable to replicate in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (formerly Streptococcus lactis). When linked to resident bacteriophage sequences, pE194 was able to integrate into the L. lactis subsp. lactis chromosome either by Campbell-like recombination or by double crossing over with deletion. Integration occurred into the DNA of the prophage and prevented its multiplication. When a selective pressure was applied to an integrant in which pE194 was flanked by two direct repeats of prophage fragment, amplification of pE194 and the prophage fragment was observed. The pE194 copy number was assessed at six to nine, and amplification was stable upon growth under nonselective conditions.