title: Control of phoR-dependent bacterial alkaline phosphatase clonal variation by the phoM region.
abstract: phoR mutants with the wild-type Escherichia coli K-12 Var+ phoM region showed clonal variation of bacterial alkaline phosphatase synthesis, whereas mutants with the pho-510 Var- allele did not. The pho-510 mutation is responsible for the phoR mutant constitutive phenotype and probably arose in E. coli K-12 58F+ after X-ray mutagenesis over 40 years ago. I propose that the phoM region controls a change in state of bacterial alkaline phosphatase synthesis, at least in phoR mutants. Four possible molecular mechanisms for how phoM may act are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase