This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shapiro, J A Articles by Higgins, N P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shapiro, J A Articles by Higgins, N P

research-article

Differential activity of a transposable element in Escherichia coli colonies.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.

ABSTRACT

In Escherichia coli colonies, patterns of differential gene expression can be visualized by the use of Mu d(lac) fusion elements. Here we report that patterned beta-galactosidase expression in colonies of strain MS1534 resulted from a novel mechanism, spatially localized replication of the Mu dII1681 element causing lacZ transposition to active expression sites. Mu dII1681 replication did not occur constitutively with a fixed probability but was dependent on the growth history of the bacterial population. The bacteria in which Mu dII1681 replication and lacZ transposition had occurred could no longer form colonies. These results lead to several interesting conclusions about cellular differentiation during colony development and the influence of bacterial growth history on gene expression and genetic change.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Marshall-Batty, K. R., Nakai, H. (2008). Activation of a Dormant ClpX Recognition Motif of Bacteriophage Mu Repressor by Inducing High Local Flexibility. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 9060-9070 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Coros, A. M., Twiss, E., Tavakoli, N. P., Derbyshire, K. M. (2005). Genetic Evidence that GTP Is Required for Transposition of IS903 and Tn552 in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 187: 4598-4606 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Papadopoulos, D., Schneider, D., Meier-Eiss, J., Arber, W., Lenski, R. E., Blot, M. (1999). Genomic evolution during a 10,000-generation experiment with bacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96: 3807-3812 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Thaler, D. (1994). The evolution of genetic intelligence. Science 264: 224-225  
• Ranquet, C., Geiselmann, J., Toussaint, A. (2001). The tRNA function of SsrA contributes to controlling repression of bacteriophage Mu prophage. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 10220-10225 [Abstract] [Full Text]