Abstract
A temperature-sensitive mutant of E. coli is described. At the nonpermissive temperature, the capacity for RNA and protein synthesis decreases logarithmically in the mutant. The mutant is unable to support the growth of f2 or T7 virus, even at the permissive temperature. The temperature-sensitive mutation maps approximately 1′ away from rif r in E. coli and therefore affects a gene previously undescribed. The temperature sensitivity is suppressed by sublethal concentrations of rifampicin. Moreover, in rif r Ts double mutants, the T s mutation suppresses rif r and vice versa. The partially purified RNA polymerases from mutant and wild-type cells have different temperature and salt optima.
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This research was supported by Public Health Service grant GM-14368 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and by grant IN-29 from the American Cancer Society. One of us (D.P.) is a predoctoral trainee, supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Traineeship Program and by a National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Research Fellowship. S. Marshall is supported by LASBAU.
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Patterson, D., Weinstein, M., Marshall, S. et al. A new RNA synthesis mutant of E. coli . Biochem Genet 5, 563–578 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485674
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485674