Facilitation of direct conditional knockout of essential genes in Bacillus licheniformis DSM13 by comparative genetic analysis and manipulation of genetic competence.

ABSTRACT: The genetic manageability of the biotechnologically important Bacillus licheniformis is hampered due to its poor transformability, whereas Bacillus subtilis efficiently takes up DNA during genetic competence, a quorum-sensing-dependent process. Since the sensor histidine kinase ComP, encoded by a gene of the quorum-sensing module comQXPA of B. licheniformis DSM13, was found to be inactive due to an insertion element within comP, the coding region was exchanged with a functional copy. Quorum sensing was restored, but the already-poor genetic competence dropped further. The inducible expression of the key regulator for the transcription of competence genes, ComK, in trans resulted in highly competent strains and facilitated the direct disruption of genes, as well as the conditional knockout

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2916460 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature