Isolation and characterization of csbB, a gene controlled by Bacillus subtilis general stress transcription factor sigma(B)

In the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (Bs), the alternative transcription factor sigma(B) is activated by environmental stresses to control the expression of a large set of unlinked genes. However, the range of physiological functions mediated by these sigma(B)-controlled genes is presently unknown. We report here that the newly identified gene csbB is under the dual control of a sigma(B)-dependent and a sigma(B)-independent promoter. The predicted product of csbB is a 329 residue protein containing two potential membrane-spanning segments in its C-terminal region, leading us to speculate that one class of sigma(B)-controlled genes acts to modify the cell envelope as part of the general stress response.