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Comparison of nitrate reductase mutants of Escherichia coli selected by alternative procedures

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Summary

Seventy-two mutants deficient in formate-nitrate reductase activity were selected in Escherichia coli strain PK 27, by two different procedures. Forty-five strains were selected on the basis of chlorate resistance and 27 strains were selected by their inability to reduce nitrate with formate as an electron donor. Genetic analysis of these strains showed that the two techniques yield distinctly different distributions of mutants among the various controlling genetic loci. Chlorate resistance appears to select for severe alterations in the nitrate reductase system; 98% of these mutants fell into the pleiotropic chl A, B, D and E classes and are deficient in all the activities of the formate-hydrogenlyase pathway as well as formate-nitrate reductase pathway. In contrast, 48% of the mutants selected for their inability to reduce nitrate with formate as the electron donor were of the chl C class and two new classes were identified among mutants selected by this procedure. Chl F mutants are linked to tryptophan and the chl C locus. Chl G mutants map at zero minutes on the E. coli genetic map.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California

    J. H. Glaser & J. A. DeMoss

  2. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 77025, Houston, Texas, USA

    J. A. DeMoss

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  1. J. H. Glaser
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  2. J. A. DeMoss
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Communicated by W. Maas

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Glaser, J.H., DeMoss, J.A. Comparison of nitrate reductase mutants of Escherichia coli selected by alternative procedures. Molec. gen. Genet. 116, 1–10 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334254

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334254

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