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Replication of the F'lac sex factor in the cell cycle of Escherichia coli

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Summary

The timing of replication of an F'lac during the cell cycle of Escherichia coli B/r has been investigated at different growth rates to clarify the relationship of F factor replication to cell division and the replication of the bacterial chromosome.

Cells of a lacZ — strain carrying an F'lac were separated according to their ages in an exponentially growing population after the culture was pulse labelled with a radioactive precursor of DNA and pulse induced for the synthesis of β-galactosidase. The amount of label incorporated at different cell ages reflects the state of replication of the bacteriial chromosome, while the amount of enzyme synthesized in response to a short period of induction is assumed to reflect the state of replication of the F'lac.

The F'lac replicates at a time somewhat more than half way through the cell cycle at all growth rates investigated. This time is clearly distinguishable from the time of initiation of chromosomal replication at some of the growth rates studied, implying the existence of at least some different control elements in the replication of these two replicons.

The regulation of F'lac replication has been further studied by following F'lac replication in temperature sensitive mutants, which are defective in the initiation of chromosomal replication at elevated temperatures.

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  1. Martin Leon Pato

    Present address: National Jewish Hospital and Research Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Institute of Microbiology, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jesper Zeuthen & Martin Leon Pato

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  1. Jesper Zeuthen
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  2. Martin Leon Pato
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Communicated by R. Pritchard

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Zeuthen, J., Pato, M.L. Replication of the F'lac sex factor in the cell cycle of Escherichia coli . Molec. Gen. Genet. 111, 242–255 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00433109

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00433109

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