title: Lytic action of cloned phi X174 gene E.
abstract: The phi X174 lysis gene E was placed under control of the lac promoter by cloning into the multicopy plasmid pBH20. Other phi X174 gene sequences were removed by nuclease digestion. Expression of gene E was shown to be necessary and sufficient to produce lysis phenomena exhibited by infection with intact phage. Lysis, its inhibition by MgSO4 and spermine, its progression through a spheroplasting stage, and its dependence on an early chloramphenicol-sensitive step were reproduced in clones induced for expression of the E gene product. Escherichia coli clones carrying the E gene not under lac control, and clones under lac control but only minimally induced for gene E expression, exhibited morphological aberrations consistent with the view that the mechanism by which gene E mediates cell lysis is related to host cell division processes.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D010584:Bacteriophage phi X 174 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D007763:Lac Operon; D008242:Lysogeny; D010957:Plasmids; D013096:Spermine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D013096:Spermine; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes