Gene clusters located on two large plasmids determine spore crystal association (SCA) in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. finitimus strain YBT-020.

ABSTRACT: Crystals in Bacillus thuringiensis are usually formed in the mother cell compartment during sporulation and are separated from the spores after mother cell lysis. In a few strains, crystals are produced inside the exosporium and are associated with the spores after sporulation. This special phenotype, named 'spore crystal association' (SCA), typically occurs in B. thuringiensis subsp. finitimus. Our aim was to identify genes determining the SCA phenotype in B. thuringiensis subsp. finitimus strain YBT-020. Plasmid conjugation experiments indicated that the SCA phenotype in this strain was tightly linked with two large plasmids (pBMB26 and pBMB28). A shuttle bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of strain YBT-020 was constructed. Six fragments from BAC clones were screened from this

SUBMITTER: Zhu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3208593 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature