a Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701-1013, U.S.A. Tel. (301)698-1582
b Division of Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada KlA OR6) Tel. (613)990-3247
Abstract:
We describe below the chemical synthesis of the right and left ends of bacteriophage Mu and characterize the activity of these synthetic ends in mini-Mu transposition. Mini-Mu plasmids were constructed which carry the synthetic Mu ends together with the Mu A and B genes under control of the bacteriophage λ pL promoter. Derepression of pL leads to a high frequency of mini-Mu transposition (5.6 × 10−2) which is dependent on the presence of the Mu ends and the Mu A and B proteins. Five deletion mutants in the Mu ends were tested in the mini-Mu transposition system and their effects on transposition are described.