Bacillus subtilis comZ (yjzA) Negatively Affects Expression of comG but Not comK

The yjzA open reading frame, along with med, constitutes an operon. Disruption of yjzA caused a five-fold enhancement of comG expression, thereby leading to a three-fold-higher transformation efficiency. The expression of comK and the other three late competence operons was not affected significantly in the yjzA-deficient mutant.