Nucleotide sequence of a promoter recognized by Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase.

We report the nucleotide sequence of a promoter recognized by RNA polymerase from the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. This promoter, which was isolated from B. subtilis phage SP01 DNA, is homologous to promoters for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase; the sequences of the "-35 region" and the "Pribnow box" were 5'TTGACT and 5'CATAAT, respectively (T is the thymine analog 5-hydroxymethyluracil in SP01 DNA). These sequences each differed by only a single base pair from the preferred sequences for E. coli promoters. Not surprisingly, the SP01 promoter was actively transcribed in vitro by E. coli RNA Polymerase as well as by B. subtilis RNA polymerase.