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Expression of thednaA gene ofEscherichia coli is inducible by DNA damage

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Summary

The DnaA protein is the key DNA initiation protein inEscherichia coli. Using transcriptional and translational fusions, comparative Sl nuclease mapping and immunoblot analysis, the regulation ofdnaA in relation to inducible responses to DNA damage was studied. We found that DNA damage caused by mitomycin C (MC) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) led to a significant induction of thednaA gene. These results strongly suggest that in response to DNA damage which inhibits DNA replication, an increased initiation capacity is induced atoriC and that, in addition to the known autorepression, a new regulatory mechanism may be involved in the control ofdnaA gene expression. Furthermore, this mechanism might be indirectly related to the SOS regulon, becauselexA andrecA mutants, which block the induction of the SOS response, preventdnaA induction by MMS and MC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wissenschaftsbereich Genetik, Martin-Luther-Universität, Domplatz 1, O-4020, Halle (Saale), FRG

    Ariel Quiñones

  2. Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Ihnestraße 73, W-1000, Berlin 33, FRG

    Wolf-Rainer Jüterbock & Walter Messer

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  1. Ariel Quiñones
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  2. Wolf-Rainer Jüterbock
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  3. Walter Messer
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Communicated by R. Devoret

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Quiñones, A., Jüterbock, WR. & Messer, W. Expression of thednaA gene ofEscherichia coli is inducible by DNA damage. Molec. Gen. Genet. 227, 9–16 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00260699

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