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J N Reeve

Publications and source records attributed to J N Reeve.

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Lambda encodes an outer membrane protein: the lom gene.

lambda infected minicells synthesize a polypeptide (M(r) = 20,500) which is incorporated almost exclusively into the outer membrane of the minicell envelope. The gene (lom = lambda outer membrane) encoding this polypeptide has been mapped in the non-essential region of the lambda genome between coordinates 39.4% and 40.7% of lambda.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins

Bacteriophage SPP1 polypeptides synthesized in infected minicells and in vitro.

Minicells produced by B. subtilis CU403divIVB1 and infected by SPP1 synthesize at least 46 polypeptides which can be separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These polypeptides represent the expression of 86% of the SPP1 genome's coding capacity. Infection of minicells by sus mutants and deletion mutants of SPP1 has permitted a correlation of genetic location with gene product and has shown that SPP1 normally synthesizes at least 8 non-essential polypeptides. Restriction fragments of SPP1 produced by EcoRI digestion of SPP1 DNA have been purified and used as template DNA in a coupled transcription/translation system derived from E. coli to determine the polypeptides encoded by the individual fragments. SPP1 expression in minicells differs from SPP1 expression in nucleated cells (Esche, 1975) in that late syntheses are not dependent on phage DNA replication in infected minicells.

Bacillus subtilis

DNA synthesis in toluene-treated bacteriophage-infected minicells or Bacillus subtilis.

Bateriophage (phi29, SPP1, or SPO1)-infected, toluene-treated minicells of Bacillus subtilis are capable of limited amounts of non-replicative DNA synthesis as measured by incorporation of [3H]dTTP into a trichloroacetic acid-precipitable form. The [3H]dTTP is covalently incorporated into small DNA fragments which result from the degradation of a small percentage of the infecting phage genomes (molecular weights in the range of 2 . 10(5)). Short exposure of the DNA molecules containing the incorporated [3H]dTMP to Escherichia coli exonuclease III results in over 90% of the E13H]dTMP being converted to a trichloroacetic acid-soluble form. The synthesis is totally dependent on host-cell enzymes and is not inhibited by the addition of chloramphenicol, rifampicin, nalidixic acid and mitomycin C and only slightly (approx. 20%) inhibited by the addition of 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil.

Bacillus subtilis

Synthesis of cell envelope components by anucleate cells (minicells) of Bacillus subtilis.

Minicells produced by Bacillus subtilis CU403 (divIVB1) are capable of mucopeptide biosynthesis as shown by the incorporation of L-alanine, D-alanine, and N-acetylglucosamine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material, which can be degraded to trichloroacetic acid-soluble material by lysozyme digestion. Incorporation of the precursors is sensitive to vancomycin and D-cycloserine and insensitive to chloramphenicol. Penicillin inhibits the incorporation of D- and L-alanine N-acetylglucosamine at concentrations in excess of 10 mug of penicillin per ml; however, minicells are insensitive to penicillin-induced lysis. The material synthesized in minicells from N-acetylglucosamine is not subject to turnover during a subsequent 6-h incubation period. [2-3H]glycerol is converted to a cold trichloroacetic acid-precipitable form by minicells. This synthesis is not inhibited by vancomycin, penicillin, D-cycloserine, or chloramphenicol. Fractionation of the material synthesized from glycerol into hot trichloroacetic acid-soluble material and chloroform/methanol-extractable material indicates that minicells convert glycerol into teichoic acid and lipid.

Acetylglucosamine

Bacteriophage SPO1-induced macromolecular synthesis in minicells of Bacillus subtilis.

SPO1 bacteriophage injects its DNA into minicells produced by Bacillus subtilis CU403 divIVB1. The injected DNA is partially degraded to small trichloracetic acid-precipitable material and trichloroacetic acid-soluble material. The injected DNA is not replicated; however, it serves as a template for RNA and protein synthesis. The RNA produced specifically hybridizes to SPO1 DNA, and the amount of RNA hybridized can be reduced by competition with RNA isolated at all stages of the phage cycle from infected nucleate cells of the B. subtilis CU403 divIVB1. An unrelated phage, SPP1, also induces phage-specific RNA in infected minicells. Translation occurs in SPO1-infected minicells resulting in at least eight proteins which have been separated by gel electrophoresis, and two of these proteins have mobilities similar to proteins found only in infected B. subtilis CU403 divIVB1 nucleate cells. A large proportion of the polypeptide material synthesized in infected minicells is very small and heterogeneous in size.

Bacillus subtilis