The Bacillus subtilis genome from gerBC (311°) to licR (334°)

Abstract

As part of the international project to sequence theBacillus subtilisgenome, the DNA region located betweengerBC(311°) andlicR(334°) was assigned to the Institut Pasteur. In this paper, the cloning and sequencing of 176 kb of DNA and the analysis of the sequence of the entire 271 kb region (6·5% of theB. subtilischromosome) is described; 273 putative coding sequences were identified. Although the complete genome sequences of seven other organisms (five bacteria, one archaeon and the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae) are available in public databases, 65 genes from this region of theB. subtilischromosome encode proteins without significant similarities to other known protein sequences. Among the 208 other genes, 115 have paralogues in the currently knownB. subtilisDNA sequences and the products of 178 genes were found to display similarities to protein sequences from public databases for which a function is known. Classification of these genes shows a high proportion of them to be involved in the adaptation to various growth conditions (non-essential cell wall constituents, catabolic and bioenergetic pathways); a small number of the genes are essential or encode anabolic enzymes.