Mitomycin C-induced expression of trpA of Salmonella typhimurium inserted into the plasmid ColE1.

EcoRI endonuclease digestion of the deoxyribonucleic acid of a phi80 transducing phage carrying the entire tryptophan (trp) operon of Salmonella typhimurium (phi80 S.t.trpE-A) yielded a 4.3 X 10(6)-dalton fragment containing intact trpE, trpD, and trpC and a 3.35 X 10(6)-dalton fragment containing intact trpA. The trpA fragment inserted into EcoRI-cleaved plasmids ColE1 and CR1 was expressed regardless of its orientation of insertion. Mitomycin C, a compound that induces colicin E1 production in ColE1-containing bacteria, stimulated tryptophan synthetase alpha production in cells containing ColE1-TRPA plasmids with the trpA fragment inserted in one orientation but not the other. We conclude that in the inducible plasmids trpA can be expressed from the colicin E1 promoter.     

Cloning of the trp gene cluster from a tryptophan-hyperproducing strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum: identification of a mutation in the trp leader sequence.

Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 21850 produces up to 5 g of extracellular L-tryptophan per liter in broth culture and displays resistance to several synthetic analogs of aromatic amino acids. Here we report the cloning of the tryptophan biosynthesis (trp) gene cluster of this strain on a 14.5-kb BamHI fragment. Subcloning and complementation of Escherichia coli trp auxotrophs revealed that as in Brevibacterium lactofermentum, the C. glutamicum trp genes are clustered in an operon in the order trpE, trpD, trpC, trpB, trpA. The cloned fragment also confers increased resistance to the analogs 5-methyltryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan on E. coli. The sequence of the ATCC 21850 trpE gene revealed no significant changes when compared to the trpE sequence of a wild-type strain reported previously. However, analysis of the promoter-regulatory region revealed a nonsense (TGG-to-TGA) mutation in the third of three tandem Trp codons present within a trp leader gene. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the corresponding region confirmed the absence of this mutation in the wild-type strain. RNA secondary-structure predictions and sequence similarities to the E. coli trp attenuator suggest that this mutation results in a constitutive antitermination response.     

HindII and HindIII restriction maps of the attphi80-tonB-trp region of the Escherichia coli genome, and location of the tonB gene.

The HindII and HindIII restriction maps of the attphi80-tonB-trp region of the Escherichia coli chromosome are presented. Analysis of phage DNAs carrying tonB mutations has allowed identification of a 1,730-base pair HindII fragment containing at least part of the tonB gene. This fragment is 4,020 base pairs from the end of trpA, with the total distance from attphi80 to trpA being 6,550 +/- 800 base pairs. Properties of hybrid plasmids containing insertions of various tonB+ restriction fragments suggest that tonB lies completely within the 1,730-base pair fragment. In addition, apparent fusions of beta-galactoside to proteins within the tonB region suggest that the entire region codes for more than one polypeptide.     

Expression of cloned calf prochymosin cDNA under control of the tryptophan promoter

To increase yields of calf prochymosin (PC) produced in Escherichia coli, PC cDNA was cloned in a plasmid vector under control of the trp promoter. The hybrid plasmid pCR501 constructed for this purpose contains cDNA coding for PC (from the 5th Arg to the C-terminal Ile) fused to the N-terminal fragment of the trpE gene preceded by the trp promoter and attenuator region. E. coli C600 harboring this plasmid produces approx. 300 000 molecules of PC per cell. This is about a tenfold increase above the amount obtained using lacUV5 promoter [Nishimori et al., Gene 19 (1982) 337-344]. A similar plasmid, pCR601, which contains the same coding sequence fused to the trp promoter and N-terminal fragment of the trpL gene, directs the production of PC at the same rate as pCR501. In pCR601 the trp attenuator is deleted. Another plasmid, pCR701, in which construction of a sequence coding for fMet-PC cDNA that was aided by chemical synthesis, was placed under direct control of the trp promoter, produced PC at a much lower rate. Extracts prepared from all these bacterial transformants in the presence of urea showed distinct milk-clotting activity after renaturation and processing.     

Tryptophan gene cluster of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg: molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of a putative trpEGCFBAD operon.

A recombinant cosmid carrying the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg trp genes was selected by complementation of Escherichia coli trp mutations. A 7.3-kb fragment of the cloned archaeal DNA was sequenced. It contained the seven trp genes, arranged adjacent to each other in the order trpEGCFBAD. No gene fusions were observed. The trp genes were organized in an operonlike structure, with four short (5- to 56-bp) intergenic regions and two overlapping genes. There was no indication for an open reading frame encoding a leader peptide in the upstream region of trpE. The gene order observed in the M. thermoautotrophicum trp operon was different from all known arrangements of the trp genes in archaea, bacteria, and eucarya. The encoded sequences of the Methanobacterium Trp proteins were similar in size to their bacterial and eucaryal counterparts, and all of them contained the segments of highly similar or invariant amino acid residues recognized in the Trp enzymes from bacteria and eucarya. The TrpE, TrpG, TrpC, TrpA, and TrpD proteins were 30 to 50% identical to those from representatives of other species. Significantly less sequence conservation (18 to 30%) was observed for TrpF, and TrpB exhibited a high degree of identity (50 to 62%) to the sequences of representatives of the three domains. With the exception of TrpB, the beta subunit of tryptophan synthase, tryptophan was absent from all Trp polypeptides.     

Mutant Strains of Escherichia coli K-12 Exhibiting Enhanced Sensitivity to 5-Methyltryptophan

Eighteen mutants (designated MT(s)), isolated in Escherichia coli K-12, showed increased sensitivity to inhibition of growth by 5-methyltryptophan. All mutants were also much more sensitive to 4-methyltryptophan and 7-azatryptophan but exhibited near normal sensitivity to 5-fluorotryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan. All of the mutations were linked to the trp operon. Their locations within the trp operon were established by deletion mapping. There was good agreement between the map position of an MT(s) mutation and a lowered activity of one of the tryptophan pathway enzymes. Three mutants, one of which contained a mutation that mapped within the trpE gene, were deficient in their ability to use glutamine as an amino donor in the formation of anthranilic acid. Another trpE mutation led to the production of an anthranilate synthetase with an increased sensitivity to feedback inhibition by tryptophan.     

Fine structure of the 21S ribosomal RNA region on yeast mitochondria DNA. I. Construction of the physical map and localization of the cistron for the 21S mitochondrial ribosomal RNA.

1. We have used restriction enzyme analysis of petite mtDNAs to construct a detailed physical map of the 21S region on the mtDNA of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain JS1-3D. The map covers a segment of about 20,000 bp, on which the recognition sites of the enzymes HapII, HindII, HindIII, Sa1I, XhoI and HhaI have been localized (22 sites in total). This map has been checked in various ways against the independently constructed overall physical map of the mtDNA of strain JS1-3D. In addition, we have constructed a physical map with a resolution of about 200 bp of a HapII fragment of 1850 bp long, which carries the loci omega, RIB-1 and probably RIB-2. 2. The 21S rRNA hybridizes with the five adjacent HindII + III fragments TD9, DT19, TD15, DT14 and TT1, which lie in that order on the physical map of the 21S region. Of these, the two non-adjacent fragments TD9 and DT14 show a much stronger hybridization with 21S rRNA than DT19, TD15, and TT1. 3. The fragment DD5 (= DT19 + TD15) and part of DT14 belong to a sequence of about 1000 bp, which is absent from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis mtDNA. Although DD5 and DT14 show (very weak, respectively stronger) hybridization with 21S rRNA, the 1000 bp insert probably does not code for the 21S rRNA: the 21S rRNA of S. carlsbergensis comigrates with the 21S rRNA of JS1-3D on polyacrylamide gels under denaturing conditions. 4. Fragment DT14 hybridizes with the HindII + III fragment TD9, which shows the strongest hybridization with 21S rRNA. The presence of these sequence homologies has hampered the precise mapping of the 21S rRNA cistron. Our results are compatible, however, with the hypothesis that the sequences, coding for 21S rRNA, are located on HindII + III fragments that are not adjacent on JS1-3D mtDNA, namely TD9, DT14 and TT1.     

Plasmid vectors containing the tryptophan operon promoter suitable for efficient regulated expression of foreign genes

Derivatives of plasmid pBR322 that are suitable for high-level expression of foreign genes have been constructed. The vectors contain the Escherichia coli tryptophan promoter, the trpE gene, and about 15% of the trpD gene. To obtain expression, foreign genes are fused to the trpD gene fragment. After induction of the trp operon with 3 beta-indolylacrylic acid, trp gene products increase at least 50-fold, to account for 55% of the newly synthesised protein and 30% of total protein in the cell.     

Characteristics of hybrid plasmids carrying the genes of colicinogenic plasmid Collb-P9 responsible for colicin Ib synthesis and inhibition of phage T5 development

The EcoRI and HindII restriction endonucleases and pBR325 vector plasmid were used to obtain a set of hybrid plasmids containing ColIb-P9 fragments carrying the characters for colicin Ib synthesis and immunity and the ability to inhibit T5 phage growth. The genes responsible for colicin synthesis and immunity are closely linked and localized in the EcoRI fragment with a molecular weight of 1.85 MD (pIV41) or in the HindII fragment of 2.4 MD (pIV1). The clones containing these plasmids show an increased level of both spontaneous and mitomycin C-induced colicin synthesis and an increased level of immunity due to a larger dosage of the genes. The genes controlling T5 growth inhibition are localized in other restriction fragments of ColIb DNA: the EcoRI fragment of 1.45 MD (pIV7) and the HindII fragment of 4.3 MD (pIV5). We have demonstrated by means of hybrid plasmids that T5 growth inhibition is not connected with the colicin Ib synthesized in infected cells and is controlled by other specific product(s) of the ColIb plasmid genes. T5 phage growth was as efficient in clones containing plasmids with cloned colicin Ib genes as in a strain without plasmids. An investigation of the expression of the genes inhibiting T5 phage growth in an in vitro protein synthesis system has revealed a protein with a molecular weight of 36 000 which seems to take part in the process.     

Rhizobium meliloti mutants unable to synthesize anthranilate display a novel symbiotic phenotype.

Analyses of Rhizobium meliloti trp auxotrophs suggest that anthranilate biosynthesis by the R. meliloti trpE(G) gene product is necessary during nodule development for establishment of an effective symbiosis. trpE(G) mutants, as well as mutants blocked earlier along this pathway in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, form nodules on alfalfa that have novel defects. In contrast, R. meliloti trp mutants blocked later in the tryptophan-biosynthetic pathway form normal, pink, nitrogen-fixing nodules. trpE(G) mutants form two types of elongated, defective nodules containing unusually extended invasion zones on alfalfa. One type contains bacteroids in its base and is capable of nitrogen fixation, while the other lacks bacteroids and cannot fix nitrogen. The trpE(G) gene is expressed in normal nodules. Models are discussed to account for these observations, including one in which anthranilate is postulated to act as an in planta siderophore.     

The structure of kinetoplast DNA. 1. The mini-circles of Crithidia lucilae are heterogeneous in base sequence.

We have analysed limit digests of mini-circles from kinetoplast DNA of Crithidia luciliae by gel electrophoresis. Endonucleases HapII and AluI cut the circles into at least 37 and 21 fragments, respectively, and leave no circles intact. In both cases the added molecular weights of the fragments, estimated from mobility in gels, exceeds 18 X 10(6), i.e. more than 12 times the molecular weight of the mini-circle DNA. Endonucleases HindII + III, EcoRI and HpaI cut only part of the circles. These results show that the mini-circles are heterogeneous in base sequence. Different sequence classes are present in different amounts. DNA-DNA renaturation analysis of mini-circle DNA yields a complexity of about 3 X 10(6), i.e. twice the molecular weight on one mini-circle. The delta tm of native and renatured duplexes is about 1 degree C, showing that the sequence heterogeneity is a micro-heterogeneity. Electron microscopy, gel electrophoresis and sedimentation analysis show that the circles that are not cut by endonucleases HindII + III remain catenated in very large associations. These associations lack the 'rosette' structures and the long edge loops characteristic of intact kinetoplast DNA. This suggests that the mini-circle classes cut by endonucleases HindII + III are present throughout the network and that the maxi-circle component of the network (see accompanying paper) is not essential to hold the network together. Prolonged electrophoresis on 1.5% or 2% agarose gels resolves the open mini-circles into three and linearized mini-circles into four bands, present in different amounts. We conclude that the mini-circles are also heterogeneous in size, the difference in size between the two extreme size classes being 4% of the contour length. Digestion with endonuclease HapII shows that at least three out of these four bands differ in sequence. Possible mechanisms that could account for the micro-heterogeneity in sequence of mini-circles are discussed.     

Isolation, by tetracycline selection, of small plasmids derived from R-factor R12 in Escherichia coli K-12.

The examination, by agarose gel electrophoresis, of tetracycline-resistant colonies of Escherichia coli K-12 carrying R-factor R12 reveals the presence of smaller plasmid deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs), incompatible with R12, in many of the clones. These plasmids are demonstrated to be homologous with R12 DNA by electron microscope heteroduplex experiments and by the production of consistent fragment patterns upon digestion with various restriction endonucleases. These autonomously replicating plasmids form a related series of covalently closed circular DNA molecules ranging in size from 3.6 X 10(6) to 61 X 10(6) daltons. Plasmids of molecular weight between 3.6 X 10(6) and 37 X 10(6) confer no antibiotic resistances, but when jointly present with R12 by nonetheless enhance the expression of the tetracycline resistance associated with this latter molecule.     

Nucleotide sequence of the simian virus 40 Hind II + III restriction fragment J and the total amino acid sequence of the major structural protein VP1.

The HindII + III restriction fragment J (Hind-J) represents 4.58% of the simian virus 40 genome. The information present in Hind-J is expressed as part of the major, late 16-S messenger RNA, which codes for the structural protein VP1. The nucleotide sequence of the 240-base-pairs-long Hind fragment J has been determined by analysis of each oligonucleotide from both strands resulting from T1 or pancreatic RNase digestion of RNA transcribed from the DNA and from RNase digestion of ribo-substituted DNA. Large oligonucleotide blocks which could be constructed mainly on the basis of complementarity were subsequently ordered by partial chemical degradation of terminally labeled DNA. This direct DNA sequencing approach also completely confirmed the results obtained by both aforementioned RNase degradation methods. In the strand with the same polarity as the late mRNA, triplets corresponding to termination codons are present in two of the three reading frames. The one open reading frame connects in phase with the open reading frame of the neighboring HindII/ III fragments K, F and G, which have been published previously and which together with Hind-J span the total VP1 gene. Some features of the primary nucleotide sequence of this VP1 gene and the derived VP1 amino acid sequence are discussed.     

Isolation and genetic analysis of deletion mutants of colicin E1 plasmids carrying a TnA insertion.

Deletions of colicin E1 (colE1) plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carrying the TnA transposon have been isolated. All except two were generated by nuclease digestion of plasmid DNA from its EcoRI-sensitive site. A plasmid containing about 16% of the ColE1 DNA (6.5 X 10(5) daltons) was generated that also contained the part of the TnA transposon conferring ampicillin resistance. The extents of different deletions were determined by analysis of restriction endonuclease fragments generated by the restriction endonucleases HaeII, BamHI, and HincII.     

A restriction map of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA (strain PV 147). Mapping of the cleavage sites of HhaI, SacI, AvaI, PvuII, PstI, XbaI, EcoRI, Bg/II, HincII, HpaII and HindII + III.

The virion-extracted DNA (Mr5 x 10(6)) of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) has three single-stranded interruptions. The mapping of this DNA using eleven restriction endonucleases (HhaI, SacI, AvaI, PvuII, PstI, XbaI, EcoRI, Bg/II, HincII, HpaII and HindII + III) is reported here. The existence of the three single-stranded breaks complicates the identification and the molecular weight determination of fragments produced by HpaII, HindIII and HindII + III. Indeed the electrophoretic mobility of some fragments in which a single-stranded discontinuity is located is modified, and the fluorescence of ethidium bromide complexed with these fragments is reduced as compared to that observed for the other fragments existing in a molar ratio. These drawbacks were overcome by performing experiments of nick-translation of CaMV DNA with Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I. FRom the data it follows that the CaMV DNA molecule bears bears 1 site for HhaI and SacI, 2 for AvaI and PvuII, 3 for PstI, 4 for XbaI, 5 for EcoRI, 6 for Bg/II and HincII, 11 for HpaII and 15 for HindII + III. The corresponding fragments have all been ordered and precisely located providing a suitable map for further investigations connected with the study of the fine structure and the function of the CaMV genome.     

Herpesvirus papio DNA is similar in organization to Epstein-Barr virus DNA.

EcoRI, HindII, SalI, nd XbaI restriction endonuclease maps of herpesvirus papio (HVPapio) DNA were derived by determining the fragment sizes and the linkage relationships between fragments generated by the different enzymes. The data indicate that HVPapio DNA has a single molecular arrangement which is similar to that of Epstein-Barr virus DNA. The size of the DNA was 110 X 10(6) to 114 X 10(6) daltons. Restriction fragments from both ends varied in the number of repeats of a 4 X 10(5)-dalton sequence, TR, and hybridized to each other. This suggests that there is an identical repeating unit, TR, at both ends of the DNA. There were usually six tandem repetitions (range, 1 to 11) of a 2 X 10(6)-dalton sequence, IR, within the DNA. IR separated the DNA into two domains of largely unique sequence complexity, a 9 X 10(6)-dalton segment, Us, and an 88 X 10(6)-dalton segment, UL. There was homology between DNA fragments which mapped at 25 X 10(6) to 29 X 10(6) to 91 X 10(6) to 95 X 10(6) daltons in UL.     

Plasmid vehicles for direct cloning of Escherichia coli promoters.

A multicopy plasmid cloning vehicle, pGA22, which carries genes for ampicillin resistance (Apr), tetracycline resistance (Tcr), chloramphenicol resistance (Cmr), and kanamycin resistance (Kmr) has been constructed. This plasmid has five unique sites for restriction endonucleases EcoRI, PstI, XhoI, SmaI, and SalI within antibiotic resistance genes. pGA22, which is 5.1 megadaltons in size, has a low copy number (probably fewer than 10 per genome), is capable of relaxed replication, and is mobilized by F-factor at a frequency of 10(-5). A series of promoter-cloning vehicles, pGA24, pGA39, and pGA46, has been developed from pGA22. In these plasmids the natural promoter for Tcr has been removed and has been replaced by small deoxyribonucleic acid fragments carrying unique sites for several restriction endonucleases. Cells carrying these vectors are sensitive to tetracycline unless insertional activation of the Tcr occurs by cloning a promoter-carrying deoxyribonucleic acid fragment in one of the unique sites adjacent to the 5' end of Tcr. In this way, promoters carried on a HindIII-generated deoxyribonucleic acid fragment can be inserted at the HindIII site of plasmid pGA24, pGA39, or pGA46. A promoter in fragments generated by digestion with restriction endonuclease XmaI or PstI or by any restriction endonucleases which generate flush ends, such as SmaI, PvuII, HpaI, HincII, or HaeIII, can be clones in plasmid pGA39. Plasmid pGA46 can be used to detect a promoter fragment carried on a BglII, BamHI, MboI, or PstI fragment. We also describe a plasmid, pGA44, with a unique KpnI site in the rifampin resistance gene rpoB.     

The use of a partition locus to increase stability of tryptophan-operon-bearing plasmids in Escherichia coli

The stability of different derivatives of plasmid vectors pBR322 and pACYC184 carrying the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli was monitored in various media. It was found that in the absence of any special selective pressure, all plasmids were lost from the culture. The stability varied depending both on the orientation of the inserted tryptophan fragment and the growth media used. The pBR322::trp+ plasmids were lost at an average frequency of 0.3 to 0.8% per cell generation, while the pACYC184::trp+ plasmid was lost at a rate higher than 5%. In all cases the whole plasmid was lost at a rate higher than 5%. In all cases the whole plasmid was lost, indicating a high stability of the plasmid::cloned DNA as such. To increase the stability of the cloning vectors, the partition locus of plasmid pSC101 was added to both the pBR322::trp+ and pACYC184::trp+ plasmids. The addition of this gene increased the replicon stability at least 3- to 10-fold, with the pBR322::trp+-par+ plasmids being the most stable. Also in this case, the stability was dependent on the plasmid type and on the growth medium. In no case was there a discoordinate loss of the antibiotic-resistance and tryptophan genes from the vectors.