Suppression of polarity in the gal operon by ultraviolet irradiation

Molecular analysis of the recF gene of Escherichia coli

We analyzed the nucleotide sequence of a 1.325-kilobase region of wild-type Escherichia coli containing a functional recF gene and six Tn3 mutations that inactivate recF. The analysis shows a potentially translatable reading frame of 1071 nucleotides, which is interrupted by all six insertions. A protein of 40.5 kilodaltons would result from translation of the open reading frame, and a radioactive band of protein of an apparent molecular weight of approximately 40 kilodaltons was seen by the maxicell method using a recF+ plasmid. Putative truncated peptides were seen when two recF::Tn3 mutant plasmids were used. Differential expression of dnaN and recF from a common promoter was noted. recF332::Tn3 was transferred to the chromosome where, in hemizygous condition, it produced UV sensitivity indistinguishable from that produced by two presumed recF point mutations.

Novel mechanism of cell division inhibition associated with the SOS response in Escherichia coli

Certain Escherichia coli strains were shown to possess a novel system of cell division inhibition, called the SfiC+ phenotype. SfiC+ filamentation had a number of properties similar to those of sfiA-dependent division inhibition previously described: (i) both are associated with the SOS response induced by expression of the recA(Tif) mutation, (ii) both are associated with cell death, (iii) both are amplified in mutants lacking the Lon protease, and (iv) both are suppressed by sfiB mutations. SfiC+ filamentation and sfiA-dependent division inhibition differed in (i) the physiological conditions under which loss of viability is observed, (ii) the extent of amplification in lon mutants, (iii) their genetic regulation (SfiC+ filamentation is not under direct negative control of the LexA repressor), and (iv) their genetic determinants (SfiC+ filamentation depends on a locus, sfiC+, near 28 min on the E. coli map and distinct from sfiA).

Efficient read-through of Tn9 and IS1 by RNA polymerase molecules that initiate at rRNA promoters

Transcription and translation are coupled in most Escherichia coli operons. As a consequence, ribosomes must be present on an mRNA molecule while transcription of the mRNA is in progress or else premature termination of transcription may result. This requirement is most clearly manifested when premature nonsense codons result in polarity in multicistronic operons. Polarity can also result from insertions of transposons and insertion sequences. However, since rRNA operons are not translated, some property of these operons must allow transcription to be uncoupled from translation. In this paper we demonstrate that transposon Tn9 and insertion sequence IS1 are nonpolar or incompletely polar in rRNA operons during normal growth. We also show that essentially all expression of rrn sequences distal to IS1 and Tn9 results from transcripts that originate at rRNA promoters. These results suggest either that rRNA operons possess some mechanism which reduces or prevents termination within rRNA operons or that Tn9 and IS1 can be very inefficient at blocking normal transcription. Insertions of Tn10 in rRNA operons are substantially but incompletely polar. We could not determine whether the residual downstream transcription observed results from promoters within Tn10 or from read-through of Tn10. We discuss the meaning of read-through of Tn9 and IS1 and the residual expression of genes downstream from Tn10 with regard to rRNA operon structure and previous experiments in which polarity of transposons or insertion sequences was observed in protein-encoding operons.

Isolation of nonsense mutants of lipid-containing bacteriophage PRD1

We isolated nonsense mutants of bacteriophage PRD1, a lipid-containing polyhedral virus capable of infecting many genera of gram-negative bacteria. These mutants were grouped into 19 classes on the basis of genetic complementation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis. PRD1 infection led to the synthesis of at least 25 viral proteins, 17 of which were components of mature virions. The synthesis of proteins fell into the following three classes: very early, middle early, and late. Two of the very early proteins, P1 and P8, had an effect on DNA synthesis, host protein synthesis shutoff, and the turning on of middle and late protein synthesis. Another very early protein, P12, was involved in the shutoff of early protein synthesis. Two genes were identified as affecting lysis of the host. One appeared to be a lysin, whereas the other was an accessory lytic factor.

Tn9 and IS1 inserts in a ribosomal ribonucleic acid operon of Escherichia coli are incompletely polar

Transcription is known to be coupled to translation in many or all bacterial operons which code for proteins. In these operons, nonsense codons which prevent normal translation often result in premature termination of transcription (polarity). However, efficient transcription of ribosomal ribonucleic acid operons (rrn operons) occurs, although rrn transcripts are not translated. It therefore seemed possible that insertion sequences and transposable elements which are polar in protein-coding operons might not be polar in rrn operons. Previously, it has been shown (E. A. Morgan, Cell 21:257-265, 1980) that Tn10 is incompletely polar in the rrnX operon. Here we show that the transposon Tn9 and the insertion sequence IS1 also incompletely polar in rrnX. In normal cells expression of sequences distal to the insertions can be detected by genetic methods. In ultraviolet-irradiated cells expression of distal sequences is about 80% of that observed in uninterrupted rrnX operons. These observations provide evidence that ribonucleic acid polymerase molecules beginning at rrnX promoters can read through Tn9 and IS1 and that, at least in ultraviolet-irradiated cells, read-through is very efficient.