Compartmentalized expression of a gene under the control of sporulation transcription factor sigma E in Bacillus subtilis.

Immunoelectron microscopy was used to visualize the expression of a gene under the control of developmental transcription factor sigma E during spore formation in Bacillus subtilis. sigma E is generated by cleavage of an inactive proprotein (pro-sigma E) shortly after the formation of the sporulation septum, which partitions the sporangium into mother-cell and forespore compartments. Specific antibodies and gold-conjugated secondary antibodies were used to localize beta-galactosidase in thin sections of sporangia from cells bearing a lacZ transcriptional fusion to a gene (spoIID) under the direct control of sigma E. Transcription of spoIID was found to be induced shortly after the formation of the sporulation septum and was largely confined to the mother cell. Cell-type-specific transcription of genes under the control of sigma E could be responsible for establishing the mother-cell line of gene expression.