The bacteriophage P1 lytic replicon: directionality of replication and cis-acting elements

We have identified the direction of replication of a bacteriophage P1 lytic replicon. This was accomplished by constructing lambda P1 lysogens that contain a functional P1 lytic replicon and analysing which of two nearby bacterial DNA markers flanking the lambda prophage were amplified when that rep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gene 1996-10, Vol.175 (1-2), p.151-155
Main Authors: Cohen, G, Or, E, Minas, W, Sternberg, N L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteriophage lambda - genetics
Bacteriophage lambda - physiology
Bacteriophage P1 - genetics
Bacteriophage P1 - physiology
Blotting, Southern
DNA Replication - genetics
DNA Transposable Elements - genetics
DNA Transposable Elements - physiology
Escherichia coli - virology
phage P1
Replicon - genetics
Replicon - physiology
Transcription, Genetic
Virus Activation
Virus Replication - physiology
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Summary:We have identified the direction of replication of a bacteriophage P1 lytic replicon. This was accomplished by constructing lambda P1 lysogens that contain a functional P1 lytic replicon and analysing which of two nearby bacterial DNA markers flanking the lambda prophage were amplified when that replicon was activated. We demonstrate that both DNA markers are coordinately amplified, a result consistent with lytic replication proceeding in a bidirectional fashion. To analyze the role of various elements comprising the lytic replicon, we assessed the ability of a wild type replicon to complement a defective replicon that contains a transposon inserted between an essential lytic replication gene (repL) and the promoter (P53) at which transcription of that gene is initiated. We show that the wild type replicon cannot complement the mutant replicon. The simplest hypothesis to explain this result is that either P53 or repL protein functions primarily in cis for the replicon to operate.
ISSN:0378-1119
DOI:10.1016/0378-1119(96)00141-2