Summary
The nucleotide sequence of the gene rpsD for the ribosomal protein S4 of three thermosensitive mutants of Escherichia coli K 12 was determined. It was found that two of them contained regional multiplications of a nucleotide sequence within the gene rpsD. In one case, it is a duplication of a 31 nucleotide stretch and in another it is a triplication of a 41 nucleotide stretch. The thermosensitive phenotype of the two mutants is unstable and reverts at the frequency of approximately 10-4. The revertants regain the wild-type nucleotide sequence. We postulate that the two mutant genes that contain regional multiplications possibly take an intra-strands secondary structure, which is cleaved to regenerate the wild-type sequence, probably during DNA replication.
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Communicated by J. Schell
Dedicated to Professor Georg Melchers to celebrate his 50-year association with the journal
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Schnier, J., Isono, S., Cumberlidge, A.G. et al. Unstable mutations caused by regional tandem multiplications in the gene for ribosomal protein S4 show thermosensitivity in Escherichia coli . Molec Gen Genet 199, 265–270 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330268
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330268