The structural gene for a T7 endonuclease essential for phage DNA synthesis.
Infection of Escherichia coli with bacteriophage T7 results in the appearance of an endonuclease activity capable of hydrolyzing both double-and single-stranded DNA. Treatment with chloramphenicol prevents the induction of the endonuclease. Amber mutants of phage T7 defective in gene 3 are unable to produce the enzyme after infection of the nonpermissive host, and mutants that produce a heat-labile endonuclease were found, indicating that this gene is the structural gene for the enzyme. Gene 3 mutants synthesize only a limited amount of DNA. In addition, they are defective in carrying out the degradation of host DNA, suggesting that the gene 3 endonuclease is involved in this function.
D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D003090:Coliphages / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D005827:Genetics, Microbial; D009154:Mutation
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases