The Genetics of Ribosomes in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

Our laboratory has previously shown that there are two clusters of DNA sequences complementary to 5 S, 16 S, and 23 S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) on the Bacillus subtilis chromosome. The major cluster, comprising 60 to 80% of the rRNA cistrons, is found near the replication origin of the chromosome, delimited by the cysA and purB markers (Smith et al., 1968). Oishi and his associates (1965, 1966) have also mapped r- and tRNA cistrons in this region of the B. subtilis chromosome. We have shown that several genes conferring resistance to antibiotics (i.e., streptomycin, spectinomycin, erythromycin, oleandomycin, lincomycin, micrococcin, neomycin, neamine, and kanamycin) which have effects on ribosomal function (Weisblum and Davies, 1968; Neubort and Marmur, pers. commun.), also map in this area (Dubnau et al., 1967; Goldthwaite, Dubnau, and Smith, unpub.). The proximity of genes coding for rRNA and antibiotic resistance markers, some of which...