title: The Escherichia coli Ras-like protein (Era) has GTPase activity and is essential for cell growth.
abstract: The era gene of Escherichia coli encodes a protein (Era) which is similar to the eucaryotic RAS family of proteins. We report here that purified Era possesses both GTP-binding and GTPase activities. Era is also shown to be loosely associated with the inner membrane of E. coli. Overproduction of Era to 5% of the total cellular protein does not apparently alter either cell growth or cAMP levels. Disruption of the era gene by insertional inactivation is shown to be lethal by construction of a conditional lethal era mutant strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahnn
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inouye
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000502:physiology*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins