Summary
Streptomycin high resistant and dependent mutants of E. coli K12 were isolated and characterized with regard to a) permissiveness for phenotypic suppression by streptomycin of the conditional streptomycin-dependent mutation thr-1, and b) restriction of the activity of the sup-59 amber suppressor. The majority of the streptomycin-resistant the strA mutation. Streptomycin-dependent (SmHD) mutants were grouped into three main classes, SmD Et− PmS, SmD EtD PmS and SmD EtD PmD or DrugD, according to their ability to allow paromomycin or ethanol to act as substitutes for streptomycin for growth. In addition, streptomycin-dependent mutants were classified as either permissive (Per+) or nonpermissive (Per−) with regard to the streptomycin-mediated phenotypic suppression of the thr-1 mutation and of two T4 amber mutations. This behavior was shown to be due to different allelic states of another gene, strM. Mutations at strM were responsible for the Per− phenotype in SmHD strains. In streptomycin-sensitive or-resistant bacteria, strM remained largely unexpressed. strM was located at approximately min 68 of the standard E. coli map. In strM heterozygous merodiploids, the wild-type Per+ phenotype was dominant over Per−. The nature of the strM product remains unknown. Restriction of sup-59 activity by streptomycin resistant and dependent mutations was infrequent, and was not correlated with the mutant's behavior in phenotypic suppression. Although strM-mediated phenotypic suppression counteracted the restriction imposed by strA mutations, apparently it did not act by restoring the activity of genetic suppressors.
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Sánchez-Anzaldo, F.J., Bastarrachea, F. Genetic characterization of streptomycin-resistant and-dependent mutants of Escherichia coli K12. Molec. Gen. Genet. 130, 47–64 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00270518
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00270518