A protein similar to Escherichia coli gro EL is present in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

We have found in Bacillus subtilis an oligomer that resembles closely the gro EL oligomer from Escherichia coli. These structures have similar morphology, dimensions and sedimentation coefficients, and both are based on a 65,000 Mr polypeptide. Furthermore, the oligomer from B. subtilis infected with phage φ29 copurifies with a viral protein (p10) that is involved in the early steps of phage head morphogenesis.