New Late Gene, Dar, Involved in DNA Replication of Bacteriophage T4 I. Isolation, Characterization, and Genetic Location

Suppressors of gene 59-defective mutants were isolated by screening spontaneous, temperature-sensitive (ts) revertants of the amber mutant, amC5, in gene 59. Six ts revertants were isolated. No gene 59-defective ts recombinant was obtained by crossing each ts revertant with the wild type, T4D. However, suppressors of gene 59-defective mutants were obtained from two of these ts revertants. These suppressor mutants are referred to as dar (DNA arrested restoration). dar mutants specifically restored the abnormalities, both in DNA synthesis and burst size, caused by gene 59-defective mutants to normal levels. It is unlikely that dar mutants are nonsense suppressors since theý failed to suppress amber mutations in 11 other genes investigated. The genetic expression of dar is controlled by gene 55; therefore, dar is a late gene. The genetic location of dar has been mapped between genes 24 and 25, a region contiguous to late genes. dar appears to be another nonessential gene of T4 since burst sizes of dar were almost identical to those of the wild type. Mutations in dar did not affect genetic recombination and repair of UV-damaged DNA, but caused a sensitivity to hydroxyurea in progeny formation. The effect of the dar mutation on host DNA degradation cannot account for its hydroxyurea sensitivity. dar mutant alleles were recessive to the wild-type allele as judged by restoration of arrested DNA synthesis. The possible mechanisms for the suppression of defects in gene 59 are discussed.