Properties of Mutants in Galactose Taxis and Transport

beta-Methylgalactoside (mgl) permease mutants of Escherichia coli, which are defective in three genes, mglA, mglB, and mglC, were assayed for galactose taxis and galactose transport. The mglB product is the galactose-binding protein. Previous evidence, supported by our new findings, shows that the galactose-binding protein is the recognition component for galactose taxis as well as for galactose transport. Most mutants defective in mglB showed strong effects on both chemotaxis and transport; however, a couple showed effects chiefly on one process or the other, thus allowing a separation of chemotaxis and transport. The mglA and mglC products have not yet been identified, but they must be components of the galactose transport machinery since mutants defective in mglA or mglC, or both, showed strongly reduced transport. Although some of these mutants showed little chemotaxis, most gave close to wild-type chemotactic responses. Thus, transport is not required for galactose taxis. The bacteria detect changes in the fraction of binding protein associated with galactose, not changes in the rate of transport.     

Change in Properties of Physarum polycephalum Amoebae During Extended Culture

During two years of passage, several myxamoebal strains of Physarum polycephalum changed with regard to their properties in crosses and plaque morphology. These changes have been correlated with increased nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content.     

Expression of thymidine kinase variants is a function of the replicative state of cells

The expression of different variants of thymidine kinase (TdR kinase), characterized by electrophoretic mobilities, is related to the replicative state of normal or transformed cultured cells rather than the developmental state of the tissue of origin. The form of thymidine kinase found in actively growing cultured cells, corresponding to the “fetal kinase” of embryonic tissue, migrates as a slow moving species with an Rf of 0.20 on acrylamide gels. The “adult kinase” found in adult tissue or other nongrowing cells migrates as a faster species with an Rf of 0.50 on acrylamide gels.     

Polyuridylic Acid-directed Phenylalanine Incorporation in Minicell Extracts

Cell-free extracts of miniature Escherichia coli cells deficient in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and DNA-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase have been shown to be capable of polyuridylic acid-directed [(14)C]phenylalanine incorporation.     

Purification and Chemistry of Bacteriophage ?

From a stock of varkappa phage grown on Salmonella, a host-range mutant which attacks Escherichia coli was isolated. As in the case of Salmonella, only motile strains of E. coli are sensitive to varkappa. The phage shows an eclipse period of 35 min and a minimal latent period of 52 min. The adsorption rate constant is 3 x 10(-9) ml/min. Adsorption shows a marked dependence on temperature. Bacteriophage varkappa was purified by differential centrifugation and CsCl density gradient centrifugation. It contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is double-stranded. The DNA has a molecular weight of 42 million and a guanine plus cytosine content of 57%. Of 68 molecules of DNA inspected, 7 were circular. The phage particle weight is about 90 million.     

Growth and Division of Filamentous Forms of Escherichia coli.

Adler, Howard I. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn.), and Alice A. Hardigree. Growth and division of filamentous forms of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 90:223-226. 1965.-Cells of certain mutant strains of Escherichia coli grow into long multinucleate filaments after exposure to radiation. Deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis proceed, but cytokinesis does not occur. Cytokinesis (cross-septation) can be initiated by exposure of the filaments to pantoyl lactone or a temperature of 42 C. If growing filaments are treated with mitomycin C, nuclear division does not occur, and nuclear material is confined to the central region of the filament. Cytokinesis cannot be induced in mitomycin C-treated filaments by pantoyl lactone or treatment at 42 C.