Summary
This study deals with the effects of a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutation at the gene encoding the DNA gyrase B subunit (gyrB ts) and a deletion of the top gene encoding the ω protein upon the superhelical density of the pAO3 plasmid in E. coli cells. The alteration of the DNA gyrase B subunit is shown to lead to a partial relaxation of DNA. On the other hand, the lack of ω protein due to the top gene deletion leads to an abnormally high degree of DNA supercoiling. In a double gyrB ts Δ top mutant the DNA supercoiling is greater than native at the permissive temperature, while under nonpermissive conditions a partial relaxation is observed. However, the pattern of DNA relaxation in the latter case is quite different from that in a single gyrB ts mutant. The conclusion is that the native supercoiling of DNA in the cell is maintained through the counter-activities of DNA gyrase and the ω protein.
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Mirkin, S.M., Zaitsev, E.N., Panyutin, I.G. et al. Native supercoiling of DNA: The effects of DNA gyrase and ω protein in E. coli . Molec. Gen. Genet. 196, 508–512 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436200
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436200