Characterization ofaBacillus subtilis Sporulation OperonThat Includes GenesforanRNA Polymerase a Factor andforaPutative DD-Carboxypeptidase

Atearly stages ofsporulation, thespoILU locus istranscribed asatricistronic (1.7-kb) operon, coding forcrF andfortwoproteins that modulate theactivity ofcrF. Thelocus istranscribed asalonger (2.9-kb) transcript atthelate stages ofsporulation. We showherethat thelonger transcript contains anadditional openreading framewhoseproduct hasextensive sequence homology withDD-carboxypeptidases; thecorresponding geneis designated dacF. Cotranscription ofamorphogene, suchasdacF, withthegeneforacrfactor suggests away tocouple transcription regulation withmorphogenesis. Thepredicted N-terminal sequence oftheDacFprotein andtheinhibition ofsporulation byatranslational dacF-lacZ fusion bothsuggest that theprotein hasasignal peptide fortransport into oracross amembrane. Expression ofadawF-lacZ transcriptional fusion wasinthe forespore. The5'endofthe2.9-kb transcript wasdetermined byprimer extension analysis. Theregion 5'to theendshowednohomology topromoters recognized byknown(vfactors butwashomologous tothe corresponding region oftheforespore-specific