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Chloramphenicol releases a block in initiation of chromosome replication in a dnaA strain of Escherichia coli K12

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Summary

DNA-DNA hybridisation experiments show that chloramphenicol induces a burst of initiation from the oriC region of a dnaA46 mutant of Escherichia coli at 36.5° C but not from the isogenic dnaA + strain. Following this stimulation of initiation, DNA replication proceeds normally towards the terminus. The temporal pattern of the extra initiation is in parallel with the induced stimulation of RNA synthesis caused by chloramphenicol in the same strain. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the stimulation of initiation in the dnaA mutant is the result of the stimulation of the synthesis of an RNA species.

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Author notes

  1. Grantley W. Lycett

    Present address: Department of Botany, University of Durham, South Road, DH1 3LE, Durham, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, England

    Grantley W. Lycett, Elisha Orr & Robert H. Pritchard

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  1. Grantley W. Lycett
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  2. Elisha Orr
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  3. Robert H. Pritchard
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Communicated by G. O'Donovan

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Lycett, G.W., Orr, E. & Pritchard, R.H. Chloramphenicol releases a block in initiation of chromosome replication in a dnaA strain of Escherichia coli K12. Molec. Gen. Genet. 178, 329–336 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00270480

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00270480

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