H protein of bacteriophage 16-3 and RkpM protein of Sinorhizobium meliloti 41 are involved in phage adsorption.
The strain-specific capsular polysaccharide KR5 antigen of Sinorhizobium meliloti 41 is required both for invasion of the symbiotic nodule and for the adsorption of bacteriophage 16-3. In order to know more about the genes involved in these events, bacterial mutants carrying an altered phage receptor were identified by using host range phage mutants. A representative mutation was localized in the rkpM gene by complementation and DNA sequence analysis. A host range phage mutant isolated on these phage-resistant bacteria was used to identify the h gene, which is likely to encode the tail fiber protein of phage 16-3. The nucleotide sequences of the h gene as well as a host range mutant allele were also established. In both the bacterial and phage mutant alleles, a missense mutation was found, indicating a direct contact between the RkpM and H proteins in the course of phage adsorption. Some mutations could not be localized in these genes, suggesting that additional components are also important for bacteriophage receptor recognition.
Putnoky
Péter
P
Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7601 Pécs, Hungary. putnoky@ttk.pte.hu
Deák
Veronika
V
Békási
Krisztina
K
Pálvölgyi
Adrienn
A
Maász
Anita
A
Palágyi
Zsuzsanna
Z
Hoffmann
Gyula
G
Kerepesi
Ildikó
I
D000327:Adsorption; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016962:Sinorhizobium meliloti / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins