Modulation of DNA Repair and Recombination by the Bacteriophage λ Orf Function in Escherichia coli K-12
ABSTRACT
The orf gene of bacteriophage λ, fused to a promoter, was placed in the galK locus of Escherichia coli K-12. Orf was found to suppress the recombination deficiency and sensitivity to UV radiation of mutants, in a Δ(recC ptr recB recD)::Ptac gam bet exo pae cI ΔrecG background, lacking recF, recO, recR, ruvAB, and ruvC functions. It also suppressed defects of these mutants in establishing replication of a pSC101-related plasmid. Compared to orf, the recA803 allele had only small effects on recF, recO, and recR mutant phenotypes and no effect on a ruvAB mutant. In a fully wild-type background with respect to known recombination and repair functions, orf partially suppressed the UV sensitivity of ruvAB and ruvC mutants.
FOOTNOTES
- Received 2 November 2003.
- Accepted 23 January 2004.
- ↵*Mailing address: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave. North, Worcester, MA 01655. Phone: (508) 856-3708. Fax: (508) 856-5920. E-mail: anthony.poteete{at}umassmed.edu.
- American Society for Microbiology
