Genes for Bacillus megaterium small, acid-soluble spore proteins: nucleotide sequence of two genes and their expression during sporulation.

The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of two Bacillus megaterium genes coding for small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP), termed C-1 and C-2, has been determined. The nt sequences of the genes are greater than 98% identical in the coding regions, greater than 90% identical in approx. 180 bp and approx. 50 bp of upstream and downstream flanking sequences, respectively, and exhibit features conserved in related B. megaterium SASP genes. Northern blot analyses showed that the SASP-C-1 and/or C-2 genes are transcribed during sporulation in parallel with the related SASP-C and C-3 genes. The promoter regions of the SASP-C-1 and C-2 genes were localized, based on the sizes of their mRNAs and the positions of transcription termination sequences. The SASP-C-1 and C-2 genes' promoter regions exhibit significant homology with those for the SASP-C and C-3 genes.