Escherichia coli cell division mutation ftsM1 is in serU

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5986957

Leclerc, G; Sirard, C; Drapeau, G R

The ftsM1 mutation is believed to be in a gene implicated in the regulation of cell division in Escherichia coli because it displayed the lon mutation phenotypes. In this study, we show that this mutation is located in serU, a gene which codes for tRNA(Ser)2, and has the phenotypes of the serU allele supH. Both ftsM1 and supH suppressed the leuB6 and ilvD145 missense mutations, and both conferred temperature and UV light irradiation sensitivity to the harboring cells. Cells which carried the ftsM1 mutation or the supH suppressor had very low colony-forming abilities on salt-free L agar, and this phenotype was almost completely abolished by the presence of plasmids bearing the ftsZ+ gene. Furthermore, sensitivity of the mutant cells to UV irradiation was also markedly diminished when they carried a ftsZ+-bearing plasmid. These results suggest that supH-containing cells have reduced FtsZ activities, in accordance with their displaying the phenotypes of the lon mutant cells. The possibility that ftsM1 (supH) is functionally involved in the biosynthesis of a specific protein which affects cell division is discussed.

• Research Organization: Universite de Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 5986957
• Journal Information: J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 171:4; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560130* -- Radiation Effects on Microorganisms
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL DIVISION
CLONING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENE MUTATIONS
GENE REGULATION
GENETIC MAPPING
MAPPING
MICROORGANISMS
MUTATIONS
PHENOTYPE
PLASMIDS
RADIATIONS
RADIOSENSITIVITY
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION