Isis Innovation Limited

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Jeffery Errington

Yun Chung Leung

Wai Hung Lo

Ling Juan Wu

Disclosed is a novel recombinant Bacillus bacterial strain constructed by genetic engineering which has high productivity of aipha-amylase. The Bacillus strain comprises an alpha-amylase gene inserted in the Bacillus chromosome under transcriptional control of a phage promoter. An efficient process for the rapid production of large amounts of alpha-amylase is also disclosed.

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A Bacillus strain has a chromosome with the following modifications: a mutation of a spoIIIE gene which blocks transfer of the prespore chromosome; a mutation which prevents loss of SpoOJ function from blocking sporulation; a first reporter gene dependent on &sgr; factor and placed at a location where impaired SpoOJ function leads to increased trapping in the prespore; and a second reporter gene having a promoter which is dependent on &sgr; factor and where impaired SpoOJ function leads to reduced trapping in the prespore. The strain is useful in a method of screening for putative antibiotics.

Bacillus strain and antibiotic screening method

A Bacillus strain has a chromosome with two reporter genes, a first reporter gene having a promoter which is dependent on active &sgr;,factor, and a second gene having a promoter regulated similarly to the gene encoding the sigma factor. A method of using Bacillus strain in an assay for screening putative antibiotics.

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Oxford, United Kingdom

Jeffery Errington