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Studies on the role of the metK gene product of Escherichia coli K‐12
Author(s) -
Wei Yuhong,
Newman E. B.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.02856.x
Subject(s) - biology , escherichia coli , gene , genetics , plasmid , methylation , mutant , transcription factor , transcription (linguistics) , microbiology and biotechnology , linguistics , philosophy
Summary We show here that the metK gene is essential to the growth of Escherichia coli K‐12 and can be deleted only in the presence of a rescue plasmid carrying a functional metK gene. When metK expression was limited, genomic DNA methylation decreased and cell division was hampered. Through primer extension, the transcription start site of metK was located at 140 bp upstream of the translation start site. The frequently used metK 84 mutant has been shown to carry an A ( r)G transition in the − 10 region of the metK promoter. This accounts for its low level of S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase and SAM deficiency.