Summary
Conjugational transfer of the rac locus of E. coli K-12 into a Rac− recipient strain (i.e. rac +xrac−) results in the killing of a majority of the recipient cells. The efficiency of killing depends somewhat on the plating medium, and can be as high as 98%. The killing is not observed in the rac +xrac+, rac −xrac− or rac −xrac+ configurations. The rac locus, which has the properties of a cryptic prophage, may carry a function analogous to the kil function of bacteriophage lambda, or may instead cause killing by some replication related process.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anilionis A, Ostapchuk P, Riley M (1980) Identification of a second cryptic lambdoid prophage locus in the E. coli K-12 chromosome. Mol Gen Genet 180: 479–481
Binding R, Romansky G, Bitner R, Kuempel P (1981) Isolation and properties of Tn10 insertions in the rac locus of Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet 183: 333–340
Bitner RM, Kuempel PL (1981) P1 transduction map spanning the replication terminus of Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 184: 208–212
Bitner RM, Kuempel PL (1982) P1 transduction mapping of the trg locus in rac + and rac strains of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol 149: 529–533
Braun A, Gluck D (1977) Effect of transient lambda prophage induction on ultraviolet light resistance and recombination in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 131: 208–213
Diaz R, Barnsley P, Pritchard RH (1979) Location and characterization of a new replication origin in the E. coli K-12 chromosome. mol Gen Genet 175: 151–157
Diaz R, Kaiser K (1981) Rac− E. coli K-12 strains carry a preferential attachment site for λ rev. Mol Gen Genet 183: 484–489
Evans R, Seeley NR, Kuempel PL (1979) Loss of rac locus DNA in merozygotes of Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 175: 245–250
Fouts KE, Barbour SD (1982) Insertion of transposons through the major contransduction gap of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol 149: 106–113
Gillen JR, Karu AE, Nagaishi H, Clark AJ (1977) Characterization of the deoxyribonuclease determined by lambda reverse as exonuclease VIII of Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 113: 27–41
Gillen JR, Willis DK, Clark AJ (1981) Genetic analysis of the RecE pathway of genetic recombination in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol 145: 521–532
Gottesman MM, Gottesman ME, Gottesman S, Gellert M (1974) Characterization of bacteriophage λ reverse as an Escherichia coli phage carrying a unique set of host-derived recombination functions. J Mol Biol 88: 471–487
Greer H (1975) The kil gene of bacteriophage lambda. Virology 66: 589–604
Jacob F, Wollman EL (1961) Sexuality and the genetics of bacteria. Academic Press Inc, New York
Kaiser K (1980) The origin of Q-independent derivates of phage λ. Mol Gen Genet 179: 547–554
Kaiser K, Murray NE (1979) Physical characterization of the “Rac prophage” in E. coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 175: 159–174
Kaiser K, Murray NE (1980) On the nature of sbcA mutations in E. coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 179: 555–563
Low B (1973) Restoration by the rac locus of recombinant forming ability in recB − and recC − merozygotes of Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 122: 119–130
Zabeau M, Friedman S, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1980) The ral genes of phage λ. Mol Gen Genet 179: 63–73
Zissler J, Signer E, Schaffer F (1971) The role of recombination in growth of bacteriophage lambda I. The gamma gene. In: Hershey AD (ed) The bacteriophage lambda. New York, Cold Spring Harbor Press, pp 455–468
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by H.W. Boyer
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Feinstein, S.I., Low, K.B. Zygotic induction of the rac locus can cause cell death in E. coli . Molec Gen Genet 187, 231–235 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331122
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331122