title: Effects of N-terminal deletions of the Escherichia coli protein Fis on growth rate, tRNA(2Ser) expression and cell morphology.
abstract: The Escherichia coli Fis protein is known to be involved in a variety of processes, including the activation of stable RNA operons. In this paper we study the ability of a set of N-terminal Fis deletion mutants to stimulate transcription of the tRNA(2Ser) gene. The results indicate that the domain of the Fis protein containing residues 1-26 is not required for transcription activation. The Fis mutants that are still active in transcription stimulation can also complement the reduced growth rates of Fis- cells, suggesting that the same activating domain is involved in this phenomenon. In addition, we show that in fast growing cultures in the absence of an active Fis protein, minicells are formed. These minicells seem to arise from septum formation near the cell poles. Suppression of minicell formation by Fis also does not require the presence of the N-terminal domain of the protein.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spaeny-Dekking
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Euler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van de Putte
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goosen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000254:growth & development; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein; D034982:Integration Host Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D012362:RNA, Transfer, Ser / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein; D034982:Integration Host Factors; D012362:RNA, Transfer, Ser; C440502:integration host factor, E coli