Open AccessMembership mutation of the genetic code: loss of fitness by tryptophan.
Author(s) -
Joseph T.Y. Wong
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.80.20.6303
Subject(s) - tryptophan , auxotrophy , bacillus subtilis , strain (injury) , genetic code , mutation , amino acid , aromatic amino acids , biochemistry , yield (engineering) , chemistry , genetics , biology , mutant , gene , bacteria , metallurgy , materials science , anatomy
Bacillus subtilis strain QB928, a tryptophan-auxotroph, was serially mutated to yield strain HR15. For QB928, tryptophan functioned as a competent amino acid and 4-fluorotryptophan as merely an inferior analogue. For HR15, these roles were reversed. The tryptophan/4-fluorotryptophan growth ratio decreased by a factor of 2 X 10(4) in the transition from QB928 to HR15.