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H G Wittmann

Publications and source records attributed to H G Wittmann.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

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

The relative genetic position of the following four mutations of ribosomal protein S5 has been determined: spc-13, a mutation to spectinomycin resistance; stri N421 and strid1023, mutations suppressing dependence on streptomycin and sup0-1, 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 sup0-1 maps proximal to the aroE gene and that the striN421 and strid1023 loci are located between these two mutational sites. Proteinchemical analysis of the amino acid replacement in protein S5 of strain N421 (carrying the striN421 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 (sup0-1 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-strid1023 (striN421)-sup0-1 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.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cooperative control of translational fidelity by ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli. II. Localization of amino acid replacements in proteins S5 and S12 altered in double mutants resistant to neamine.

Protein S5 and S12 were isolated from 30S ribosomal subunits of two E. coli mutants highly resistant to the antibiotic neamine, and of the parental strain. Proteinchemical analyses on these proteins led to the following results: a) In protein S5 the arginine residue in peptide T2 of the parental strain is replaced by glycine in one (nea 314) or serine in the other (nea 319) of the two mutants. b) In protein S12 The proline residue in peptide T15 of the parental strain is replaced by leucine in mutant nea 314 and by glutamine in mutant nea 319. Comparison of these results with those obtained in earlier studies on other mutants with altered ribosomal proteins revealed that the amino acid replacements in neamine resistant mutants and in "revertants" from streptomycin dependence occur at the same amino acid positions of proteins S5 and S12. Therefore it is likely that both types of mutants belong to the same class.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Alteration of ribosomal proteins in revertants of a valyl-tRNA synthetase mutant of Escherichia coli.

The work described in this paper was done to see whether the partial suppression of temperature-sensitive aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutations by ribosomal mutations is restricted to the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutation which was used for the selection of the suppressor strains or whether the ribosomal mutations can also suppress mutations of other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. It is shown that a mutation in ribosomal protein S5 which was selected for suppression of an alanyl-tRNA synthetase mutation (alaS-3) can also partially compensate the temperature-sensitivity of two valyl-tRNA synthetase mutants and of another alanyl-tRNA synthetase mutant. Furthermore, revertants of a temperature-sensitive valyl-tRNA synthetase mutant were isolated and screened for alterations in ribosomal proteins by electrophoretic and immunochemical methods. Alterations in at least two proteins, S8 and S20, were clearly observed among the mutants. The alteration in protein S8 renders the growth of this strain severely cold-sensitive. Presence of the mutation in protein S8 is strictly correlated with suppression of temperature-sensitivity. The S8 mutation maps between strA and spc on the Escherichia coli chromosome. Five suppressor strains have quantitatively or qualitatively altered ribosomal proteins S20. In one strain no S20 protein could be detected at all, employing different electrophoretic and immunological methods. All five suppressor mutations map in the thr-leu region of the E. coli chromosome, i.e. in an area where the alteration of protein S20 in two alaS suppressor strains has been localized previously.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗

Analysis of ribosomal proteins in streptomycin resistant and dependent mutants isolated from streptomycin independent Escherichia coli strains.

Mutants resistant to (Str-R) or dependent on streptomycin (Str-D) were isolated from several streptomycin independent (Str-I) strains of Escherichia coli. From 90 of these mutants ribosomes were isolated and the ribosomal proteins analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results which are summarized in Tables 1-4 led to the following conclusions: a) The phenotype (Str-R) or Str-D) of the mutants isolated from the Str-I strains strongly depends on the parental strain. b) No other ribosomal proteins than S4, S5 and S12 seem to be altered by mutations leading to dependence on, independence from or resistance to streptomycin. c) The S4 proteins of the analyzed mutants belong to three groups. The ratio between the groups depends more on the origin of the mutants than on their phenotype. d)Eight new types of altered S4 proteins were detected. It is very likely that many, if not all, of the altered S4 proteins originated by frame shift mutations. e) Some of the mutants differ from the wild type by alterations in three ribosomal proteins (S4, S5 and S12). The alteration in one protein, S4, apparently compensates for that in another protein, S5, in such a way that the original phenotype is expressed. These mutants are therefore an excellent tool for studies at the molecular level on the interaction of ribosomal components within the particle.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗

Localized mutagenesis of the aroE-strA section of the Escherichia coli chromosome coding for ribosomal proteins.

In order to obtain E. coli strains altered in ribosomal proteins the following isolation technique was used: Phage P1 grown in a streptomycin resistant E. coli strain, was mutagenized by hydroxylamine or nitrous acid, and was used to transduce into a strain auxotrophic for aroE. Transductants with streptomycin resistance and aroE prototrophy were selected and tested for their growth at various temperatures (20 degrees, 30 degrees and 42 degrees) and their response to different antibiotics. Ribosomes from seventeen transductants with an altered response to temperature or antibiotics were isolated. They were tested for alterations in their ribosomal subunit profiles by sucrose centrifugation and for altered ribosomal proteins by two dimensional gel electrophoresis. Two strains showed accumulation of 50S ribosomal precursors and three strains had an altered 50S protein L18. This protein belongs to the 5S RNA-protein complex having GTPase and ATPase activity.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Effect of different mutations in ribosomal protein S5 of Escherichia coli on translational fidelity.

UNLABELLED: The effect of three different types of mutations in ribosomal protein S5 of Escherichia coli on translational fidelity has been studied. Two of them, namely that conferring resistance to spectinomycin and that selected for partial suppression of a temperature-sensitive analyl-tRNA synthetase mutation, do not exhibit ribosomal ambiguity in the in vivo and in vitro test system employed. In contrast, mutations in ribosomal protein S5 selected for suppression of streptomycin dependence mutations are able to derestrict the restriction of translational ambiguity imposed by str A mutations, though to different degrees depending on the type of mutation. Mutants in which streptomycin dependence is suppressed by an alteration in protein S5 are more restrictive than mutants resistant to streptomycin. Again, the extent of restriction depends on the type of the str Ad allele. IN CONCLUSION: mutations in ribosomal protein S5 can act as ram mutations like mutations in protein S4. The part of the S5 polypeptide involved in control of translational fidelity is different from regions altered in spectinomycin resistant strains and in the alanyl-tRNA synthetase suppressor mutant.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗

Transcriptional units for ribosomal proteins of Escherichia coli.

Transcriptional units for ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli were measured using the ultraviolet sensitivities of the rates of synthesis of individual ribosomal proteins. The ultraviolet sensitivities of gene transcriptions are proportional to the distances from the promoters. The longest transcriptional units for ribosomal proteins are 3.6 x 10(6) of DNA molecular weight corresponding to 1.8 x 10(6) of RNA or to 180 000 of protein. The length would cover 10--12 genes of ribosomal proteins (of an average Mr of 15000-18000).

Bacterial Proteins↗