Open AccessFrameshift mutations in the bacteriophage Mu repressor gene can confer a trans-dominant virulent phenotype to the phage
Author(s) -
Vincent Geuskens,
J. L. Vogel,
Régis Grimaud,
Lucie Desmet,
N. Patrick Higgins,
Ariane Toussaint
Publication year - 1991
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.173.20.6578-6585.1991
Subject(s) - repressor , frameshift mutation , biology , bacteriophage , genetics , gene , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , mutation , gatad2b , dna , bacteriophage mu , gene expression , escherichia coli
Virulent mutations in the bacteriophage Mu repressor gene were isolated and characterized. Recombination and DNA sequence analysis have revealed that virulence is due to unusual frameshift mutations which change several C-terminal amino acids. The vir mutations are in the same repressor region as the sts amber mutations which, by eliminating several C-terminal amino acids, suppress thermosensitivity of repressor binding to the operators by its N-terminal domain (J. L. Vogel, N. P. Higgins, L. Desmet, V. Geuskens, and A. Toussaint, unpublished data). Vir repressors bind Mu operators very poorly. Thus the Mu repressor C terminus, either by itself or in conjunction with other phage or host proteins, tunes the DNA-binding properties at the repressor N terminus.