Tracking the elusive function of Bacillus subtilis Hfq (Agilent)

Transcriptomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis wild-type strain and hfq mutant in stationary phase of growth using to tiling array gene expression analysis. RNA-binding protein Hfq is a key component of the adaptive responses of many proteobacterial species. In these organisms, the importance of Hfq largely stems from its participation to regulatory mechanisms involving small non-coding RNAs. In contrast, the function of Hfq in Gram-positive bacteria has remained elusive. 97 transcription units (representing 134 genes) were found significantly different between the wild-type and the ΔhfqBs strains in the stationary cultures performed in rich LB medium. This data set contains 4 samples. Expression profiles of Bacillus subtilis prototype strain (BSB1, a tryptophan-prototrophic derivative 168 strain) and a ∆hfq mutant were examined 5 h after the onset of stationary phase in LB medium. Two biological replicates were analyzed.