Summary The Gram‐positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is frequently exposed to hyperosmotic conditions. In addition to the induction of genes involved in the accumulation of compatible solutes, high salinity exerts widespread effects on B. subtilis physiology, including changes in cell wall metabolism, induction of an iron limitation response, reduced motility and suppression of sporulation. We performed a combined whole‐trans...

Summary The alternative sigma factor σ B is the master regulator of the general stress regulon that comprises approximately 200 genes whose products confer a comprehensive stress resistance to Bacillus subtilis . The characterization of MgsR ( m odulator of the g eneral s tress r esponse) revealed that the activation and induction of σ B are a prerequisite but not sufficient for a full expression of all general stress genes. M...

Summary The general stress response and the decision‐making processes of sporulation initiation are interconnected pathways in the regulatory network of Bacillus subtilis . In a previous study we provided evidence for a mechanism capable of impairing sporulation by σ B ‐dependent induction of spo0E , encoding a phosphatase specifically inactivating the sporulation master regulator Spo0A∼P. Here we show that the σ B promoter (P...