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K B Low

Publications and source records attributed to K B Low.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Regulation of the biosynthesis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and of tRNA in Escherichia coli. IV. Mutants with increased levels of leucyl- or seryl-tRNA synthetase.

Spontaneous revertants of a temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli strain harboring a thermolabile leucyl-tRNA synthetase and seryl-tRNA synthetase were selected for growth at 40 degrees C. Among these, strains were found with increased levels of both thermolabile synthetases. Two distinct genetic loci were found responsible for enzyme overproduction. leuR, located near xyl, causes elevated levels of leucyl-tRNA synthetase; while serR, located near leu, causes elevated levels of seryl-tRNA synthetase.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases

Regulation of the biosynthesis of aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases and of transfer ribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli. V. Mutants with increased levels of valyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase.

Spontaneous revertants of a temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli strain harboring a thermolabile valyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase were selected for growth at 40 degrees C. Of these, a large number still contain the thermolabile valyl-tRNA synthetase. Three of these revertants contained an increased level of the thermolabile enzyme. The genetic locus, valX, responsible for the enzyme overproduction, is adjacent to the structural gene, valS, of valyl-tRNA synthetase. Determination (by radioimmunoassay) of the turnover rates of valyl-tRNA synthetase showed that the increased level of valyl-tRNA synthetase is due to new enzyme synthesis rather than decreased rates of protein degradation.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases

Regulation of the biosynthesis of aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases and of transfer ribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli. VI. Mutants with increased levels of glutaminyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase and of glutamine transfer ribonucleic acid.

Spontaneous revertants of a temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli strain bearing a thermolabile glutaminyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase have been selected for growth at 45 degrees C. Among 10 revertants still containing the thermolabile enzyme, 2 interesting strains were found. One strain has a fivefold elevated level of the thermolabile glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase; the genetic locus, glnR, responsible for this effect maps at min 24, far from glnS, the structural gene of the enzyme. In the other strain the levels of tRNA Gln and several other tRNAs are twice as high as in the parental strain; the locus responsible, glnU, maps at min 59.5 on the E. coli map.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases

Production of giant cells of Escherichia coli.

Giant cells, with volumes up to 500-fold those of normal cells, have been produced by both genetic and pharmacological means in Escherichia coli K-12. In the genetic approach, an envB or mon mutation (conferring rounded or irregular morphology) was combined with a lon mutation (block of septation after irradiation). UV irradiation and subsequent incubation for 2 to 5 h in a rich medium supplemented with 1% sodium chloride led t; production of polymorphic giant cells. In the pharmacological approach, incubation of several different strains of E. coli K-12 with the drug 6-amidinopenicillanic acid (FL1060) in the same rich medium gave rise to a homogeneous population of smoothly rounded giant cells.

Cell Division

Suppression of a defective alanyl-tRNA synthetase in Escherichia coli: a compensatory mutation to high alanine affinity.

Among temperature resistant revertants of a temperature sensitive E. Coli alanyl-tRNA synthetase mutant a strain was found which contains an alanyl-tRNA synthetase with an additional mutation in the structural gene of the enzyme. This mutant enzyme has a 9 or 38 fold decreased Km value for alanine compared to that of the thermolabile parental enzyme or to wild-type enzyme, respectively. The alaS gene maps just counterclockwise from recA on the E. coli map (94% cotransduction frequency). It appears that the enzyme's increased affinity for alanine is the mechanism of suppressing the temperature sensitive character of the cell. In addition, some cold-sensitive temperature resistant revertants were found, where the cold-sensitive character mapped near strA. Presumably they are due to changes in ribosomal proteins as characterized by Ruffler et al. (1974).

Alanine