The spoIIE locus is involved in the Spo0A-dependent switch in the location of FtsZ rings in Bacillus subtilis

A switch in the location of FtsZ ring structures from medial to polar is one of the earliest morphological indicators of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis . This switch can be artificially caused during vegetative growth by induction of an active form, Sad67, of the transcription regulator, Spo0A (P. A. Levin and R. Losick, Genes Dev. 10:478–488, 1996). We have used immunofluorescence microscopy to show that the switch in FtsZ ring location during vegetative growth caused by Sad67 induction is blocked by a spoIIE deletion mutation. The spoIIE mutation also impaired polar FtsZ ring formation during sporulation. These results suggest that SpoIIE mediates the Spo0A-directed formation of polar FtsZ rings.