Abstract

Molecular Cloning and Gene Regulation in Bacilli presents the proceedings of the 1981 Cetus Conference on Genetics held at Stanford University, Stanford, California. It summarizes both basic and applied aspects of bacilli genetics. It discusses significant advances made in understanding chromosome structure, gene arrangement, molecular cloning, cloned gene expression, DNA metabolism, transcription, and translation.
Divided into five sessions, the book starts by discussing the DNA sequence from RNA intergenic spaces of Bacillus subtilis rRNA gene sets, the construction of a bifunctional cosmid vector of large DNA segments, and the mating system of bacilli. Molecular cloning session covers complementation system and dominance analyses in Bacillus, genetic fusion of Escherichia coli lac genes to a Bacillus subtilis promoter, and DNA cloning of B. subtilis. It also describes the construction of trimethoprim resistant B. subtilis plasmid and expression of E. coli trp genes cloned in B. subtilis. Session III encompasses chapters that discuss protein secretion by bacilli; regulation of alpha-amylase production in B. subtilis; entomocidal toxin translation of B. thuringiensis; and expression of crystal protein, heterologous, and eukaryotic genes in bacilli. Session IV focuses on various aspects of DNA metabolism of bacilli, such as the interaction of bacterial chromosome with cell membrane; plasmid DNA in competent cells and protoplasts of B. subtilis; analysis of peptides synthesized by B. subtilis mutants; and DNA repair, uptake, restriction, modification, and recombination. The final session examines species-specific translation, control of gene expression and replications in plasmids, development of expression-vector in B. subtilis, and regulatory modifications of RNA polymerase. Each chapter is presented in an experimental manner, consisting of a summary of the study, materials and methods, results, as well as references.