The putative DNA translocase SpoIIIE is required for sporulation of the symmetrically dividing coccal species Sporosarcina ureae

The spoIIIE gene of Sporosarcina ureae encodes a 780-residue protein, showing 58% identity to the SpoIIIE protein of Bacillus subtilis, which is thought to be a DNA translocase. Expression of the S. ureae spoIIIE gene is able to restore sporulation in a B. subtilis spoIIIE mutant. Inactivation of the S. ureae spoIIIE gene blocks sporulation of S. ureae at stage III. Within the limits of detection, the sporulation division in S. ureae shows the same symmetry, or near symmetry, as the vegetative division (in contrast to the highly asymmetric location of the sporulation division for B. subtilis), and so it is inferred that SpoIIIE facilitates chromosome partitioning during sporulation, even when the division is not grossly asymmetric. It is suggested that chromosome partitioning lags behind division during sporulation but not during vegetative growth.