title: Relation of the Escherichia coli dnaX gene to its two products--the tau and gamma subunits of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme.
abstract: The Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme 71.1 kDa tau subunit is a 643 amino acid protein encoded by the dnaX gene. This gene also encodes the holoenzyme 56.5 kDa gamma subunit. The tau factor (as a tau'-LacZ' fusion protein) has been isolated and shown to be cleaved in vitro to form gamma and a 135 kda C-terminal cleavage product. The tau'-LacZ' fusion protein, gamma, and the C-terminal cleavage product have been isolated. N-terminal sequencing has demonstrated that tau and gamma share the same N-terminal sequences and that tau is proteolytically cleaved in vitro between residues 498 and 499 to form gamma. In addition, residues 420-440 were shown to be present in both tau and gamma by use of antibody specific for a synthetic peptide corresponding to that sequence. Some mechanism functions in vivo to ensure that tau and gamma are synthesized in a ratio of about one-to-one, as shown by radioimmune precipitation of tau and gamma from cellular extracts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004258:DNA Polymerase III / Q000235:genetics*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D004258:DNA Polymerase III; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase