title: Characterization of degP, a gene required for proteolysis in the cell envelope and essential for growth of Escherichia coli at high temperature.
abstract: The degP gene, required for proteolysis in the cell envelope of Escherichia coli, maps at approximately 3.5 min on the chromosome. Null mutations in degP result in temperature-sensitive growth. In certain genetic backgrounds, expression of abnormal periplasmic or inner membrane proteins (protein fusions or proteins with internal deletions) enhances the temperature-sensitive phenotype. Such growth defects were used as a selection for cloning the degP gene into Mud4042 and pACYC184 plasmid vectors, and a restriction map was determined. Analysis of deletion and insertion mutations on one of these plasmids showed that the degP gene is approximately 1.5 kilobases in size. The plasmid-encoded DegP protein had an apparent molecular weight of 50,000, as determined by maxicell analysis. Protein fusions between DegP and alkaline phosphatase had high alkaline phosphatase enzymatic activity, indicating that DegP is a periplasmic or membrane protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Strauch
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beckwith
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins; D010957:Plasmids; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; C061682:DegP protease; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases