Open AccessCharacterization of the ftsB gene as an allele of the nrdB gene in Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Betsy T. Kren,
James A. Fuchs
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.169.1.14-18.1987
Subject(s) - biology , complementation , escherichia coli , mutant , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , plasmid , protein subunit , ribonucleotide reductase , allele , enzyme , mutation , bacteriophage , nucleotide , biochemistry , genetics
A temperature-sensitive, salt-rescuable ftsB cell division mutant, MFT84, was found to be hydroxyurea sensitive on low-salt medium. Complementation studies with plasmids and a marker rescue study with bacteriophage M13 nrd indicated that ftsB is an allele of nrdB and that the mutation occurs in the region corresponding to nucleotides 6729 to 7032 of the nrdB gene. Enzymatic characterization demonstrated that the B2 subunit of ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase encoded by ftsB was responsible for the decreased activity and the thermolability of the enzyme. The ftsB-encoded B2 subunit was activated by the addition of 0.1 M NaCl to an in vitro assay, corroborating the in vivo temperature-dependent salt requirement was a result of a defective B2 subunit.