title: flu, a metastable gene controlling surface properties of Escherichia coli.
abstract: flu, a gene of Escherichia coli K-12, was discovered and mapped between his and shiA. It is shown that flu is a metastable gene that changes frequently between the flu+ and flu states. flu+ variants give stable homogeneous suspensions, are piliated, and form glossy colonies. flu variants aggregate, fluff and sediment from suspensions, are nonpiliated, and form frizzy colonies. flu+ and flu variants can be isolated from most strains. Implications of these observations are discussed, and it is demonstrated that flu+ variants of strain P678-54 yield three times more minicells than flu variants.
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005796:Genes; D014644:Genetic Variation; D013696:Temperature