Characterization of temperate bacteriophages of Bacillus subtilis by the restriction endonuclease EcoRI: evidence for three different temperate bacteriophages

Expression of thymidylate synthetase activity in Bacillus subtilis upon integration of a cloned gene from Escherichia coli

The gene from Escherichia coli encoding thymidylate synthetase was cloned in the plasmid pBR322. The resulting chimeric plasmid, pER2, was effective in transforming both E. coli and Bacillus subtilis to thymine prototrophy. Uncloned linear E. coli chromosomal DNA was unable to transform thymine-requiring strains of B. subtilis to thymine independence. Linearization of the chimeric plasmid, pER2, with restriction enzymes markedly diminished its ability to transform B. subtilis auxotrophs. The Thy+ transformants derived from the transformation of B. subtilis with pER2 DNA did not contain detectable extrachromosomal DNA as demonstrated by Southern hybridization patterns and centrifugation in CsCl gradients of DNA isolated from B. subtilis colonies transformed with the chimeric plasmid. We conclude that the DNA from the chimeric plasmid was integrated into the chromosome of B. subtilis, demonstrating that extensive homology is not required for the integration of foreign DNA. This is the first reported case of a gene from a Gram-negative bacterium functioning in a Gram-positive organism.

Restriction-fragment map of the temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPO2

The endonucleases BglI, BglII, EcoRI, SalI, SmaI, and XbaI were used to fragment the phage SPO2 DNA. Electrophoretic analysis using ethidiumbromide agarose gels showed the phage to have nine BglI sites, one BglII site, four EcoRI sites, one SalI site, one SmaI site, and six XbaI sites. Using partial digestions, multiple endonuclease digestion, and autoradiography the fragments were sized and ordered into a circular map of 23 Md. Such an analysis locates the endonuclease sites, indicates which endonucleases are potentially useful in cloning with SPO2, and allows insertions and/or deletions in the SPO2 DNA to be characterized.

Restriction endonuclease mapping of bacteriophage phi105 and closely related temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages rho10 and rho14

Cleavage maps of the three similar Bacillus subtilis temperate bacteriophages, phi105, rho10, and rho14, were constructed by partial digestion analysis utilizing the restriction endonuclease EcoRI. Comparison of the topography of these maps indicates that all phage DNAs posses cohesive ends and a number of EcoRI restriction sites; the fragments are conserved, and the estimated base substitution/nucleotide divergence between these phages is 0.03 to 0.07 based on conserved fragments or between 0.03 and 0.11 based on conserved cleavage sites. These lines of evidence indicate that phi105, rho10, and rho14 are closely related. Double-enzyme digestion analysis reveals that rho14 DNA has unique SalGI and BglII restriction sites and phi105 DNA has a unique SalGI restriction site, making these phages possible cloning vectors for B. subtilis.

Mechanism of integrating foreign DNA during transformation of Bacillus subtilis

Genes encoding thymidylate synthetase from Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages were cloned in Escherichia coli. Chimeric plasmids pCD1 and pCD3 were constructed from site-specific endonuclease digests of bacteriophage phi3T DNA cloned in pMB9 in E. coli. Similar cloning techniques with bacteriophage beta22 DNA yielded chimeric plasmids pCD4, pCD5, and pCD6. Endonuclease digests of DNA from pCD1 and pCD3 propagated in E. coli or from DNA isolated from bacteriophage phi3T propagated in B. subtilis transformed B. subtilis from Thy- to Thy+. Intact DNA from bacteriophage beta22, endonuclease digests of beta22 DNA, and a chimeric plasmid (pCD5) composed only of the thybeta22 gene and pMB9 did not transform B. subtilis from Thy- to Thy+ even though pCD5 could transform Thy- E. coli to Thy+. However, if the thybeta22 fragment from pCD5 was introduced into another chimeric plasmid, pCD2, that contains a region of homology to the chromosome of B. subtilis in addition to pMB9, transformation of Thy- clones of B. subtilis was possible. Furthermore, Southern hybridization analyses of the digests of chromosomal DNA from the Thy+ transformants established that the entire chimeric plasmid was incorporated into the chromosome of B. subtilis. Treatment of these plasmids with site-specific endonucleases abolished transformation. These results indicated that the entire chimeric plasmid can be incorporated into the chromosome of B. subtilis by a Campbell-like model. Therefore, an additional mechanism for transformation exists whereby plasmids can be integrated if sufficient chromosomal homology is maintained.

Fragmentation of Bacillus bacteriophage phi105 DNA by complementary single-stranded DNA in the cohesive ends of the molecule

The structure of DNA from the temperate Bacillus subtilis phage phi105 was examined by using the restriction endonuclease EcoRI and by sedimentation analysis. The DNA contains six EcoRI cleavage sites. Although eight DNA fragments were identified in the EcoRI digests, the largest of these was shown to consist of the two fragments that carry the cohesive ends of the phage DNA. In neutral gradients, the majority of whole phi105 DNA sedimented as nicked circles and the remainder as oligomers. No unit-length linear structures were detected. The associated cohesive ends could be sealed by DNA ligase from Escherichia coli and could be cleaved by S1 nuclease. On the basis of these results and previously reported studies, it appears that, as isolated from phage particles, phi105 DNA is a circular molecule that is formed from the linear structure by the association of complementary single-stranded DNA.

Bacteriophage conversion of spore-negative mutants to spore-positive in Bacillus pumilus

A pseudolysogenic phage, PMB1, was isolated from soil on the basis of its ability to increase the sporulation frequency of the oligosporogenic Bacillus pumilus strain NRS 576 (sporulation frequency, less than 1%). Several spore-negative mutants (sporulation frequency, less than 10-8) derived from strain NRS 576, which were converted to spore positive by infection with PMB1, were subsequently identified. PMB1 repeatedly grown on a given spore-negative mutant (e.g., GW2) converted GW2 cells to spore positive. Each plaque-forming unit initiated the conversion of a spore-positive clone in semisolid agar overlays. GW2 cells remained spore positive as long as they maintained PMB1. Return of PMB1-converted cells to the orginal spore-negative phenotype correlated with loss of PMB1. In liquid media, PMB1 infection increased the sporulation frequency of mutant GW2 over 106-fold. More than half of the spore-negative mutants we isolated from strain NRS 576 were converted to spore positive by PMB1 infection. PMB1-induced spores of the spore-negative mutant GW2 were somewhat more heat sensitive than uninfected or PMB1-infected spores of the spore positive parent of GW2. PMB1-induced spores of GW2 do not differ from wild-type spores in morphology by phase-contrast microscopy, dipicolinic acid content, or rate of sedimentation through Renografin gradients.

Transformation of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli by a hybrid plasmid pCD1

The gene thyP3 from Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi 3T was cloned in the plasmid pMB9. The resulting chimeric plasmid, pCD1, is effective in transforming both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis to thymine prototrophy. The activity of the thyP3 gene product, thymidylate synthetase, was assayed and found to be 9 times greater in a transformed strain of Escherichia coli than in a phi 3T lysogen of Bacillus subtilis. The physical location of restriction sites has been determined for two related plasmids pCD1 and pCD2. Hybridization studies clearly indicate that the plasmid gene responsible for Thy+ transformation is the gene from the bacteriophage phi 3T. The lack of restriction in this transformation process is consistent with our previous studies using bacterial DNA in heterospecific exchanges indicating that the nucleotide sequence surrounding the gene is the dominant factor in determining interspecific transformation.

Temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi 3T: chromosomal attachment site and comparison with temperate bacteriophages phi 105 and SPO2

The temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi 3T contains within its genome a locus, designated thyP3, that encodes for a protein with thymidylate synthetase activity. Bacteriophage phi 3T is different from the two previously characterized temperate phages, phi 105 and SPO2, in: heteroimmunity, response to bacteriophage antisera, endonuclease digestion pattern, induction in the presence of 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil, and effect on the lytic cycle of bacteriophage phi 1. The mean burst size of phi 3T is 56. The dose response curve with bacteriophage phi 3T DNA is linear for transfection and transformation to the Thy+ phenotype. The inserted prophage has been mapped by PBS1 transduction; it is between chromosomal markers ilvA8 and gltA in the terminus of the chromosome. Thus thyP3 maps at a site separate from, but between, the bacterial markers thyA and thyB when thyP3 is in the prophage state.

Expression of the thymidylate synthetase gene of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage Phi-3-T in Escherichia coli

The thymidylate synthetase gene of B. subtilis bacteriophage Phi-3-T, when cloned in plasmids pSC101 or pMB9 is expressed in E. coli. The promoter of the cloned gene is likely to originate in Phi-3-T. Rearrangements of hybrid plasmid sequences during the cloning have been noted. B. subtilis strains can be transformed with hybrid DNAs. The transformants contain sequences of Phi-3-T, but not those of plasmid vectors.

New temperate bacteriophage for Bacillus subtilis, rho 11

A new temperate bacteriophage, rho11, isolated by J. Hoch, has been characterized. This new phage is very similar to the temperate phage phi3T in size (380 nm), host range, homoimmunity, DNA buoyant density (1.694 g/ml), antigenicity, and molecular weight (around 6.0 X 10(7)) as determined in gels. Like phi3T, rho11 converts thymine auxotrophs to prototrophy at high frequency (250 out of 250 tested). Phage rho11 differs from phi3T in plaque morphology and in the endonuclease R-EcoRI digest pattern. Sixteen of the 20 rho11 DNA fragments have migration patterns corresponding to those of the 21 fragments of phi3T. The close similarities yet clear differences between these phages suggest that the two phages have a common ancestor.

Bacteriophages of Bacillus subtilis

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Transformation and transfection in lysogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis: evidence for selective induction of prophage in competent cells

Lysogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis 168 were reduced in their level of transformation as compared to non-lysogenic strains. The level of transformation decreased even further if the competent lysogenic cells were allowed to incubate in growth media prior to selection on minimal agar. This reduction in the frequency of transformation was attributable to the selective elimination of transformed lysogenic cells from the competent population. Concurrent with the decrease in the number of transformants from a lysogenic competent population was the release of bacteriophage by these cells. The lysogenic bacteria demonstrated this dramatic release of bacteriophage only if the cells were grown to competence. Both the selective elimination of transformed lysogens and the induction of prophage was prevented by the inhibition of protein synthesis. Additionally, competent lysogenic cells released significantly higher amounts of exogenous donor transforming deoxyribonucleic acid than did competent non-lysogenic cells or competent lysogenic cells incubated with erythromycin. These data establish that the induction of the prophage from the competent lysogenic cells was responsible for the selective elmination of the lysogenic transformants. A model is presented that accounts for the induction of the prophage from competent lysogenic bacteria via the induction of a repair system. It is postulated that a repair system is induced or derepressed by the accumulation of gaps in the chromosomes of competent bacteria. This hypothetical enzyme(s) is ultimately responsible for the induction of the prophage and the selective elimination of transformants.