Genetic studies of the ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli. I. Mutants and strains having 30s ribosomal subunit with altered protein components

Summary Two 30s ribosomal protein components, 30-4_K and 30-7_K, from E. coli K12 strain were clearly distinguished on the CMC column chromatogram from the corresponding protein components, 30-4_B and 30-7_B, from B strain. The 30-7_K component was shown to correspond to the K-character.A mutant strain of K12, W3637, had an altered 30s ribosomal protein component, 30-9_W3637.The characters of 30-4_K, 30-7_K, 30-9_W3637 and str ^r were found to be cotransduced from W3637 to B strain by Plke phage in 16 out of 20 str ^r transductants. The 30-9_W3637 and 30-4_K components were separated from str ^r in 4 str ^r transductants. These results indicate that (1) neither 30-4 nor 30-9 is the protein whose mutational change leads to str ^r, and (2) the genes specifying the 30s ribosomal proteins, 30-4, 30-7, 30-9 and str are linked on the chromosome.Abbreviations used CMC carboxymethyl cellulose - str streptomycin     

Genetic studies of the ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli. 8. Mapping of ribosomal protein components by intergeneric mating experiments between Serratia marcescens and Escherichia coli

Summary Ribosomal protein compositions of Serratia marcescens and Escherichia coli K12 were analyzed by using carboxymethyl cellulose column chromatography. Nine 50S and nine 30S ribosomal proteins of E. coli K12 could be distinguished from those of S. marcescens on the chromatogram.Episomes of E. coli K12, which cover the streptomycin(str) region of the chromosome, were transferred to S. marcescens. Chromatographic analyses were made on the ribosomal proteins extracted from these hybrid strains. At least nine 30S and six 50S ribosomal proteins of E. coli-type could be detected in the ribosomes of the hybrid strains in addition to the ribosomal proteins of S. marcescens.     

Genetic studies of the ribosomal proteins in Escherichia. coli. II. Altered 30s ribosomal protein component specific to spectinomycin resistant mutants

Summary Spectinomycin resistant (spc ^r) mutants were obtained by treating the cells of E. coli K12, W3637 with nitrosoguanidine. The compositions of ribosomal proteins were analyzed for six out of eleven such spc ^r-mutants with chromatography on a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) column. The 30s ribosomal subunit from all of the spc ^r-mutants was found to contain the altered 30-4 protein component, while no difference was detected in 50s ribosomal proteins between spc ^r and spc ^s bacteria.Abbreviations used CMC carboxymethyl cellulose - str streptomycin - spc spectinomycin     

Genetic studies of the ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli. 3. Compositions of ribosomal proteins in various strains of Escherichia coli

Summary The comparative chromatographic investigations into the ribosomal proteins of various strains of E. coli have demonstrated that most of the strains including three strains of E. coli subsp. communior had ribosomes with the same protein compositions (C-type). The ribosomes from strain B are different from the C-type ribosomes in having the specific 30-4 (B) component in place of 30-4 (B-type), while those from strains K 12 may be distinguished from the type-C ribosomes by the presence of the specific 30-7 (K) component in place of 30-7 (K-type) or, in addition to 30-7 (K), the presence of 30-9 (W3637) in place of 30-9 (K-3637 type). Two strains, IAM 1132 and IAM 1182, have R-type ribosomes, in which at least six 50s proteins and four 30s protein components are distinct from the corresponding protein components in the C-type ribosomes.     

Comparison of ribosomal proteins of chloroplast from spinach and of E. coli

Summary A comparison of ribosomal proteins from Escherichia coli and from chloroplasts of Spinach was made using two separate methods: electrophoretic migration and immunochemical cross-reaction between blotted E. coli ribosomal proteins and chloroplast ribosomal subunits antisera. It is shown that L2 from E. coli (E-12) and L4 from chloroplasts (CS-L4) comigrated and that E-L4 immunologically cross-reacted with the isolated CS-L4 antibody. Co-migration was observed for three additional couples of 50S ribosomal proteins. It is also shown that at least one 30S E. coli ribosomal protein immuno-cross reacted with a 30S chloroplast antiserum and that three couples of 30S ribosomal proteins comigrated.     

Letter: Unequal contribution to ribosomal assembly of both str alleles in Escherichia coli merodiploids and its relationship to the dominance phenomenon

Two Escherichia coli strains were constructed which are reciprocal diploids for the str locus and isogenic for this region of the chromosome (str^s/′F str^r and str^r/′Fstr³). During exponential growth the steady-state ribosomal pools of both merodiploids are comprised of about 90%, or more, of streptomycin-sensitive ribosomes. Little effect of allele position was found. A similar preponderance of sensitive 30 S subunits over those that are resistant has been found during limited subunit reconstitution when an equimolar mixture of ribosomal proteins from both phenotypes was initially present. The results indicate that the rates of 30 S subunit assembly of both phenotypes are different, and that the sensitive sub-units predominate over the resistant subunits, suggesting that the difference in biosynthetic rate may be the basis for the dominance of this phenotype in vivo. An explanation for some aspects of the physiology of str diploids have been suggested in terms of these findings.     

Identification of Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus ribosomal protein binding sites on Escherichia coli 5S RNA.

Summary E. coli [³²P]-labelled 5S RNA was complexed with E. coli and B. stearothermophilus 50S ribosomal proteins. Limited T₁ RNase digestion of each complex yielded three major fragments which were analysed for their sequences and rebinding of proteins. The primary binding sites for the E. coli binding proteins were determined to be sequences 18 to 57 for E-L5, 58 to 100 for E-L18 and 101 to 116 for E-L25. Rebinding experiments of purified E. coli proteins to the 5S RNA fragments led to the conclusion that E-L5 and E-L25 have secondary binding sites in the section 58 to 100, the primary binding site for E-L18. Since B. stearothermophilus proteins B-L5 and BL22 were found to interact with sequences 18 to 57 and 58 to 100 it was established that the thermophile proteins recognize and interact with RNA sequences similar to those of E. coli. Comparison of the E. coli 5S RNA sequence with those of other prokaryotic 5S RNAs reveals that the ribosomal proteins interact with the most conserved sections of the RNA.Paper number 12 on structure and function of 5S RNA.Preceding paper: Wrede, P. and Erdmann, V.A. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 2706–2709 (1977)     

Genetic position and amino acid replacements of several mutations in ribosomal protein S5 from Escherichia coli.

Summary The relative genetic position of the following four mutations of ribosomal protein S5 has been determined: spc-13, a mutation to spectinomycin resistance; str ⁱ _N421 and str ⁱ _d1023, mutations suppressing dependence on streptomycin and sup _0–1, a mutation suppressing partially the temperature-sensitive phenotype of an alanyl-tRNA synthetase mutation. The transduction experiments performed indicate that the spc-13 site is located in the S5 cistron proximal to the strA locus, that sup _0–1 maps proximal to the aroE gene and that the str ⁱ _N421 and str ⁱ _d1023 loci are located between these two mutational sites.Proteinchemical analysis of the amino acid replacement in protein S5 of strain N421 (carrying the str ⁱ _N421 allele) has shown that an arginine residue is replaced by leucine which results in the appearance of a trypsin intensitive bond between the tryptic peptides T2 and T16. The same alteration has been previously found by Itoh and Wittmann (1973) in the S5 protein of strain d1023.Determination of the alteration of ribosomal protein S5 of strain 0–1 (sup _0–1 allele) revealed that the C-terminal tryptic peptide is altered. It differs from that of the wild-type protein by the lack of five amino acids and the appearance of a C-terminal glycine residue instead of a lysine residue. This change can be explained by the deletion of eleven nucleotides in the S5 cistron of strain 0–1.The recent determination of the primary structure of ribosomal protein S5 (Wittmann-Liebold and Greuer, 1975) allows the ordering of the S5 alterations employed: The order is spc-13-str ⁱ _d1023 (str ⁱ _N421)-sup _0–1 with the spc-13 amino acid replacement being located at the NH₂-terminal portion of the S5 sequence and the alteration of strain 0–1 at the COOH-terminal end. The proteinchemical results are therefore in full agreement with the genetic data and unambiguously allow the conclusion that the S5 cistron is transcribed counterclock-wise on the Escherichia coli chromosome.     

Gene locus of a 30s ribosomal protein S20 of Bacillus subtilis

Summary The gene locus of the 30s ribosomal protein S20 of Bacillus subtilis was mapped in the str-region at the right side of S5 gene. The gene order was cysA-str(S12)-ery(50D)-[spc(S5); 50G]-S20-.     

Genetic Mapping of Cold Resistance Gene of Escherichia coli

Using cold resistant mutants, MET1 and MET2, obtained from Escherichia coli K-12, genetic mapping of the cold resistance gene(s) of E. coli was performed by the conjugation and transduction techniques. The gene(s) was confirmed to be located close to trpB at 28 min (revised chromosome linkage map, 1983) on the E. coli chromosome.     

An Escherichia coli K12 mutant carrying altered ribosomal protein (S10).

An $\text{Escherichia coli}$ mutant (JE14373) carrying decreased stability of stable RNA species was found to have altered electrophoretic mobility of a 30S ribosomal protein (S10). Recombinants covering $\text{str}$ gene (76 min on $\text{E. coli}$ linkage map by Bachmann, Low and Taylor, 1976 (ref. 1)) obtained from a cross of CSH64 × JE14373, restored normal S10 protein. The size analysis of RNAs labeled for 15 min with [³H]uridine showed 50 to 60 % decrease of 16S RNA in this mutant strain, but almost no decrease of 23S RNA at 10 or 40 min after addition of rifampicin. On the other hand, no change was observed in the stability of both rRNA pieces in its parental PA3092 strain even at 40 min after addition of rifampicin.     

A missense mutation in the gene coding for ribosomal protein S17 (rpsQ) leading to ribosomal assembly defectivity in Escherichia coli.

Summary The conditionally lethal mutation, 286lmis, has been mapped inside the ribosomal protein gene cluster at 72 minutes on the Escherichia coli chromosome and was found to cotransduce at 97% with rpsE (S5). The 2861mis mutation leads to thermosensitivity and impaired assembly in vivo of 30S ribosomal particles at 42°C. The strain carrying the mutation has an altered S17 ribosomal protein; the mutational alteration involves a replacement of serine by phenylalanine in protein S17. Spontaneous reversion to temperature independence can restore the normal assembly in vivo of 30S ribosomal subunits at 42°C and the normal chromatographical sehaviour of the S17 ribosomal protein in vitro. We conclude therefore that the 2861mis mutation affects the structural gene for protein S17 (rpsQ).     

A spectinomycin dependent mutant of Escherichia coli.

Summary A mutant of Escherichia coli B has been isolated which shows a novel phenotype of spectinomycin dependence. The mutant, termed RD, needs spectinomycin to grow at temperatures of 37° or below; it is unable to grow at 42° in either the presence or absence of spectinomycin. Secondary mutants which grow well in the absence of spectinomycin can be isolated spontaneously at a frequency of about 10^-6. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of ribosomal proteins from 25 of these revertants showed that two revertants had an alteration in S4; one other showed an alteration in L5, and one showed an apparent absence of L1. Mutant RD itself had an altered less basic S5, which was maintained in all the revertants that were checked.Genetic analysis indicated that RD was a double mutant: one mutation, which alone conferred a spectinomycin resistant phenotype on the strain, was located in the strA region of the E. coli chromosome and was represented by the mutation in S5. The other mutation, which conferred the dependence on spectinomycin, mapped close to the rif locus.     

DNA sequencing of the Escherichia coli ribonuclease III gene and its mutations

Summary A 0.7 kb DNA fragment of the Escherichia coli K12 chromosome was shown to contain the structural gene for RNAse III (rnc). The DNA sequence of the gene was determined and its alteration in an RNAse III defective mutant, AB301-105, was identified. DNA sequence analysis also showed that a secondary-site suppressor of a temperature-sensitive mutation in the E. coli ribosomal protein gene, rpsL, occurred within the rnc gene, providing genetic evidence for the interaction of ribosomal proteins with RNAse III, which in turn acts on the nascent ribosomal RNA during assembly of ribosomes in E. coli.     

Peptide analyses of a protein component, 50-8, of 50s ribosomal subunit from erythromycin resistant mutants of Escherichia coli and Escherichia freudii

Summary Chromatographic analyses on a Dowex 50x8 column of tryptic digests of the mutationally altered 50-8 protein component from several erythromycin resistant (ery ^r) mutants of Escherichia coli and Escherichia freundii have been performed. It was found that (1) the difference in the elution profile of the altered components detected with carboxymethyl cellulose column chromatography reflects the difference in their amino acid sequence, (2) the structural change(s) of the 50-8 protein from three E. coli ery ^r mutants examined seems to exist only in the same single peptide fragment and (3) the primary structure of the 50-8(R) protein of E. freundii (ery ^s: wild type) differs from that of E. coli Q13 (ery ^s) and the structural change in 50-8(R) component of E. freundii caused by the ery ^r mutation was found to take place in different peptide fragments from that in which the mutational change of the E. coli 50-8 component occurred.     

Further temperature-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli with altered ribosomal proteins.

Summary Various alterations in ribosomal proteins were detected in forty-one mutants ofE. coli isolated as temperature-sensitive mutants. Out of these, six are new classes of mutants harboring mutations in proteins S3, L5, L7 (L12), L29, L30 and L33. One of them apparently lacks protein L7 of the large subunit. These mutants together with those reported previously (Isono et al., 1976) total one hundred and one ribosomal mutants in thirty different proteins.     

Biogenesis of ribosomes: free ribosomal protein pools in Escherichia coli

Proteins from ribosomal subunits (30 s and 50 s) have been fractionated into split (SP-30 and SP-50) and core (core-30 and eore-50) proteins. Antisera prepared in rabbit against them are shown to be highly group-specific as judged by the Ouchterlony (1967) double diffusion test and by precipitin reaction in solution. Various parameters which influence the immuno-precipitation of these proteins by specific antisera have been investigated. It is demonstrated that under controlled conditions this provides a sensitive and reliable method for characterization and quantitative estimation of free ribosomal proteins. The technique has been successfully applied in the investigations of various properties of free ribosomal protein pools existing in Escherichia coli. It is concluded that free ribosomal proteins in E. coli may constitute 8 to 14% of total soluble proteins under different growth conditions. Relative pool sizes of four classes of proteins expressed as a percentage of the total soluble proteins in bacteria grown in L broth (doubling period, 30 min) are estimated to be core-30, 2.1; core-50, 3.4; SP-30, 3.6; SP-50, 5.0. From the studies on bacteria grown in different media (doubling period, 30, 42 and 60 min), we further conclude that the amount of free proteins increases with the growth rate so as to constitute a constant fraction (7 to 9%) of total ribosomal proteins. Relative pool-sizes corresponding to four classes of ribosomal proteins, however, remain unaltered by different growth rate.     

Suppressors of temperature-sensitive mutations in a ribosomal protein gene, rpsL (S12), of Escherichia coli K12

Summary Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutations were isolated within a ribosomal protein gene (rpsL) of Escherichia coli K12. Mutations were mapped by complementation using various transducing phages and plasmids carrying the rpsL gene, having either a normal or a defective promoter for the rpsL operon. One of these mutations, ts118, resulted in a mutant S12 protein which behaved differently from the wild-type S12 on CM-cellulose column chromatography. Suppressors of these ts mutations were isolated and characterized; one was found to be a mutation of a nonribosomal protein gene which was closely linked to the RNAase III gene on the E. coli chromosome. This suppressor, which was recessive to its wild-type allele, was cloned into a transducing phage and mapped finely. A series of cold-sensitive mutations, affecting the assembly of ribosomes at 20°C, was isolated within the purL to nadB region of the E. coli chromosome and one group, named rbaA, mapped at the same locus as the suppressor mutation, showing close linkage to the RNAase III gene.     

Transductional construction of aspartase-hyperproducing strain of Escherichia coli B

Two aspartase-overproducing mutants of Escherichia coli B were characterized. Strain EAPc7 had a mutation enhancing aspartase formation in the region of aspartase gene. This mutation did not affect catabolite repression by aspartase. Strain EAPc244 showed a high cAMP content and an elevated adenylate cyclase activity. This mutation was closely linked to the ilv locus and caused the release of catabolite repression for various catabolite repression-sensitive enzymes, resulting in overproduction of adenylate cyclase. This mutation was transduced to an Ile⁻ strain derived from strain EAPc7 using the Ile⁺ selective marker. The constructed strain AT202, having the above 2 mutations, produced about 3-fold and 18-fold more aspartase than did the 2 parent strains and the wild-type strain, respectively, when cultured in the medium used for industrial production of aspartase. Strain AT202 maintained stably high aspartase activity after 30 cell generations. On the other hand, in E. coli K-12 harboring the aspA⁺ recombinant plasmid pYT471 (pBR322-aspA⁺), the activity decreased to the E. coli K-12 level. Hence, strain AT202 is more advantageous for industrial production of l-aspartic acid than cells harboring the aspA⁺-recombinant plasmid pYT471.