Induction of Bacillus subtilis sporulation by decoyinine and the concomitant disappearance of ppGpp in vegetative cells.

Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis, growing exponentially in the presence of rapidly metabolizable nutrients, was induced by addition of decoyinine (an antibiotic inhibitor of GMP synthesis), and intracellular amounts of ppGpp were determined after 2 M formic acid extraction by polyethyleneimine (PEI)-cellulose thin-layer chromatography. Consequently, it was found that the ppGpp in vegetative cells abruptly disappeared after the addition of decoyinine. This indicates that the disappearance of ppGpp is closely correlated to the initiation of B. subtilis sporulation.