A gene designated lpa-14, which was cloned from Bacillus subtilis RB14 and was associated with the production of lipopeptide antibiotics, was found to be involved in the production of an iron-chelating siderophore, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoylglycine (2,3-DHBG). Although strain R Delta 1, an lpa-14 defective mutant of RB14, showed no growth in iron-deficient medium in contrast to the marked growth of RB14 in the same medium, the addition of chemically synthesized 2,3-DHBG at approximately 100 ppm caused the growth of R Delta 1 to be resumed.