Structure and function of the repressor of bacteriophage lambda. II. Isolation and characterization of a lambda mutant which produces repressor having higher affinity for operators

Mol Gen Genet. 1984;194(3):373-6. doi: 10.1007/BF00425547.

Abstract

By mutagenizing a lambda cIts (lambda cI857) lysogen, a lambda mutant has been isolated with a wild-type phenotype. This mutant phage lysogenizes with low efficiency and produces a low burst. Though the initial rates of repressor synthesis in Escherichia coli after infection with wild-type and mutant lambda are the same, the maximum level of repressor that is synthesized in the latter case is only about 30% of that synthesized in the former. Virulent lambda plates on the lysogen of mutant lambda with slightly less efficiency producing very tiny plaques. Operator-binding studies made in vitro with purified mutant and wild-type repressors show that the binding curve of the former repressor is a rectangular hyperbola while that of the latter is sigmoid. The half-lives of the complexes of mutant and wild-type repressors with right operator are 133 and 27 min, respectively. All these results suggest that the mutant repressor possibly has a higher affinity for the operators. This mutant has been named lambda cIha (ha = high affinity).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophage lambda / genetics*
  • Bacteriophage lambda / growth & development
  • DNA, Viral / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins*
  • Lysogeny
  • Operon*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / physiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
  • phage repressor proteins