A gene from Bacillus natto encoding a 60-amino-acid peptide has been previously described that, when cloned on a high-copy plasmid in B. subtilis, enhances production of alkaline protease, neutral protease, and levansucrase. An identical gene was isolated from B. subtilis and caused a similar phenotype when placed on a high-copy plasmid. Genetic mapping localized this gene near metB, distant from other pleiotropic genes causing similar effects. Deletion of this gene from the B. subtilis chromosome had no obvious phenotypic effect.