Molecular and General Genetics MGG

, Volume 206, Issue 1, pp 51–59 | Cite as

Overproduction of DnaA protein stimulates initiation of chromosome and minichromosome replication in Escherichia coli

  • Tove Atlung
  • Anders Løbner-Olesen
  • Flemming G. Hansen
Article
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Summary

Increased synthesis of DnaA protein, obtained with plasmids carrying the dnaA gene controlled by the heat inducible λpL promoter, stimulated initiation of replication from oriC about threefold. The overinitiation was determined both as an increase in copy number of a minichromosome and as an increase in chromosomal gene dosage of oriC proximal DNA. The additional replication forks which were initiated on the chromosome did not lead to an overall increase in DNA content. DNA/DNA hybridization showed an amplification encompassing less than a few hundred kilobases on each side of oriC. Kinetic studies showed that the overinitiation occurred very rapidly after the induction, and that the initiation frequency then decreased to a near normal frequency per oriC. The results indicate that the DnaA protein is one important factor in regulation of initiation of DNA replication from oriC.

Key words

Regulation of chromosome replication DnaA protein oriC Hybridization 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1987

Authors and Affiliations

  • Tove Atlung
    • 1
  • Anders Løbner-Olesen
    • 1
  • Flemming G. Hansen
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of MicrobiologyThe Technical University of DenmarkLyngby-CopenhagenDenmark

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