Translational Polarity of a Mutation in the Initiator AUG Codon of the Lambda CI Gene

Overview

Journal Genetics

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Genetics

Date 1987 Oct 1

PMID 2959588

Citations 1

Authors

G N Gussin

S Brown

K Matz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A PRM-cI-lacZ fusion inserted into the b2 region of bacteriophage lambda was used to isolate mutations affecting expression of both the lambda cI gene and the lacZ gene. One such mutation, a change in the cI initiator codon from AUG to AUA, reduces immunity of a lambda prophage to superinfection, and causes a 60-70% reduction in beta-galactosidase synthesis, even when repressor is supplied in trans. The effect of the mutation on lacZ gene expression is eliminated in a rho- bacterial strain, and the mutation has no effect on transcription initiated at PRM in vitro. Therefore, the effects of the mutation are due to premature p-dependent termination of transcription in the absence of translation of the cI gene, as if the mutation were a nonsense polar mutation.

Citing Articles

A Transcription Fidelity Reporter Identifies GreA as a Major RNA Proofreading Factor in .

Bubunenko M, Court C, Rattray A, Gotte D, Kireeva M, Irizarry-Caro J Genetics. 2017; 206(1):179-187.

PMID: 28341651 PMC: 5419468. DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.198960.

References

NEWTON W, Beckwith J, Zipser D, Brenner S . Nonsense mutants and polarity in the lac operon of Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1965; 14(1):290-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-2836(65)80250-9. View

Gussin G, Brown S, Ferm J, Matz K . New mutations in the pRM promoter of bacteriophage lambda. Gene. 1987; 54(2-3):291-7. DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(87)90500-2. View

Morse D, Primakoff P . Relief of polarity in E. coli by "suA". Nature. 1970; 226(5240):28-31. DOI: 10.1038/226028a0. View

Reichardt L, Kaiser A . Control of lambda repressor synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971; 68(9):2185-9. PMC: 389381. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.68.9.2185. View

Yen K, Gussin G . Genetic characterization of a prm- mutant of bacteriophage lambda. Virology. 1973; 56(1):300-12. DOI: 10.1016/0042-6822(73)90308-5. View

Mitchell D, Reznikoff W, Beckwith J . Genetic fusions defining trp and lac operon regulatory elements. J Mol Biol. 1975; 93(3):331-50. DOI: 10.1016/0022-2836(75)90281-8. View

Meyer B, Kleid D, Ptashne M . Lambda repressor turns off transcription of its own gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975; 72(12):4785-89. PMC: 388816. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.72.12.4785. View

Das A, Court D, Adhya S . Isolation and characterization of conditional lethal mutants of Escherichia coli defective in transcription termination factor rho. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976; 73(6):1959-63. PMC: 430427. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.73.6.1959. View

Ptashne M, Backman K, Humayun M, Jeffrey A, Maurer R, Meyer B . Autoregulation and function of a repressor in bacteriophage lambda. Science. 1976; 194(4261):156-61. DOI: 10.1126/science.959843. View

10.

Adhya S, Gottesman M . Control of transcription termination. Annu Rev Biochem. 1978; 47:967-96. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.bi.47.070178.004535. View

11.

Simpson R . The molecular topography of RNA polymerase-promoter interaction. Cell. 1979; 18(2):277-85. DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90047-3. View

12.

Rosen E, Gussin G . Clustering of Prm- mutations of bacteriophage lambda in the region between 33 and 40 nucleotides from the cL transcription start point. Virology. 1979; 98(2):393-410. DOI: 10.1016/0042-6822(79)90562-2. View

13.

Maxam A, Gilbert W . Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980; 65(1):499-560. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. View

14.

Siebenlist U, Simpson R, Gilbert W . E. coli RNA polymerase interacts homologously with two different promoters. Cell. 1980; 20(2):269-81. DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90613-3. View

15.

Gold L, Pribnow D, Schneider T, Shinedling S, Singer B, Stormo G . Translational initiation in prokaryotes. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1981; 35:365-403. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.mi.35.100181.002053. View

16.

Busby S, Dreyfus M . Segment-specific mutagenesis of the regulatory region in the Escherichia coli galactose operon: isolation of mutations reducing the initiation of transcription and translation. Gene. 1983; 21(1-2):121-31. DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(83)90154-3. View

17.

Stanssens P, Remaut E, Fiers W . Inefficient translation initiation causes premature transcription termination in the lacZ gene. Cell. 1986; 44(5):711-8. DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90837-8. View

18.

Eisen H, Pereira da Silva L, Jacob F . [On the early regulation of the lambda bacteriophage]. C R Acad Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1968; 266(11):1176-8. View