General Stress Transcription Factor ς(B) and Sporulation Transcription Factor ς(H) Each Contribute to Survival of Bacillus subtilis under Extreme Growth Conditions

The general stress response of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the ς(B) transcription factor. Here we show that loss of ς(B) reduces stationary-phase viability 10-fold in either alkaline or acidic media and reduces cell yield in media containing ethanol. We further show that loss of the developmental transcription factor ς(H) also has a marked effect on stationary-phase viability under these conditions and that this effect is independent from the simple loss of sporulation ability.