Open AccessVectors that facilitate the replacement of transcriptional lacZ fusions in Streptococcus mutans and Bacillus subtilis with fusions to gfp or gusA
Author(s) -
Chary Vasant K.,
Busuioc Monica,
Renye John A.,
Piggot Patrick J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.05.001
Subject(s) - bacillus subtilis , green fluorescent protein , biology , plasmid , lac operon , streptococcus mutans , reporter gene , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , shuttle vector , gene , expression vector , vector (molecular biology) , bacteria , genetics , gene expression , recombinant dna
Plasmid vectors have been constructed for Streptococcus mutans and Bacillus subtilis that make possible rapid replacement of the widely used reporter gene lacZ (encoding β‐galactosidase) with either gfp (encoding green fluorescent protein) or gusA (encoding β‐glucuronidase). The lacZ → gfp replacement vectors greatly facilitate the analysis of the spatial location of gene expression in biofilms of S. mutans and in sporulating B. subtilis . The lacZ → gusA replacement vectors facilitate the comparison of two promoters within the same organism. A vector is also described that enables gusA to be replaced with gfp in B. subtilis .