Bacillus subtilis phage φ29 main promoters are efficiently recognized in vivo by the Streptomyces lividans RNA polymerase

Abstract

A DNA fragment from the Bacillus subtilis phage φ29, containing the main early and late viral promoters, has been inserted upstream of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (neo) derived from the transposon Tn5 and present in a Streptomyces lividans promoter-probe plasmid. The φ29 promoters are specifically recognized by the S. lividans RNA polymerase which initiates transcription in vivo at the same sites utilized in B. subtilis. Moreover, the viral promoters efficiently direct the synthesis of high levels of the APHII enzyme in S. lividans.