The Bacillus subtilis glpD gene encodes glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. This gene is preceded by a leader region containing an inverted repeat which acts as a transcription terminator. Expression of glpD is controlled by antitermination of transcription at the inverted repeat. Antitermination is effected by the glpP gene product in conjunction with glycerol-3-phosphate and, consequently, GlpP mutants fail to grow on glycerol as a sole carbon and energy source. We have isolated a number of glycerol-positive revertants of GlpP mutants. Most of these revertants have mutations in the inverted repeat of the glpD leader and produce glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase constitutively. Unlike wild-type bacteria, they are not sensitive to glucose repression of glpD. A few of the revertants are temperature sensitive, i.e. they grow on glycerol at 32 degrees C but not at 45 degrees C and produce glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase only at 32 degrees C. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the temperature-sensitive expression of glpD is due to destabilization of glpD mRNA. Furthermore, introduction of the wild-type glpP gene into the revertants stabilized the glpD mRNA. This is probably a result of a direct interaction between the GlpP protein and the leader of glpD mRNA. Besides its function in antitermination of transcription of glpD, it is suggested that GlpP is also involved in controlling glpD mRNA stability. Introduction of the glpP gene into the revertants also restored glucose repression, indicating that this repression is mediated by the GlpP protein.

The Bacillus subtilis glpPFKD region contains genes essential for growth on glycerol or glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P). The nucleotide sequence of glpP encoding a regulatory protein and the previously unidentified glpF encoding the glycerol uptake facilitator was determined. glpF is located immediately upstream of glpK and the two genes were shown to constitute one operon which is transcribed separately from glpP. A aA-type promoter and the transcriptional start point for glpFK were identified. In the 5' untranslated leader sequence (UTL) of glpFK mRNA a conserved inverted repeat is found. The repeat is believed to be involved in the control of expression of glpFK by termination/antitermination of transcription, a control mechanism previously suggested for the regulation of glpD encoding G3P dehydrogenase. Expression of glpFK and glpD requires the inducer G3P and the glpP gene product. A 2.9 kb B. subtilis chromosomal DNA fragment containing the glpP open reading frame was cloned to give plasmid pLUM7. pLUM7 contains a functional glpP gene as shown by its ability to complement various gZpP mutants. Immediately upstream of glpP an open reading ffame is found (Owl). Disrupting ORFl by plasmid integration in the B. subtilis chromosome does not affect the ability to grow on glycerol as sole carbon and energy source. With the present report all B. subtilis glp genes located at 75" on the chromosomal map have been identified.

The cloning of the Bacillus subtilis glpT and glpQ genes and their nucleotide sequences are reported. Analysis of mRNA indicates that glpT and glpQ constitute one operon which is transcribed from a sigma A type promoter. The steady state amount of glpTQ mRNA is increased in cells grown in the presence of glycerol 3-phosphate. The 5' untranslated leader sequence of glpTQ mRNA contains an inverted repeat which shows sequence similarity to repeats present in the leader sequences of glpFK and glpD transcripts. These repeats seem therefore to be essential control elements for all B. subtilis glp genes.

Although glycerol is not taken up via the phosphotransferase system (PTS) in Bacillus subtilis, some mutations that affect the general components of the PTS impair the ability of cells to grow on glycerol. Five revertants of a pb deletion mutant that grow on glycerol were analysed. They were shown to carry mutations in the glycerol kinase gene. These are missense mutations located in parts of the g/pK gene that could encode regions important for the activity of glycerol kinase. The results strongly suggest that the main effect of the PTS on glycerol utilization in B. subtilss is mediated via glycerol kinase.

No abstract