title: Polymerases leave fingerprints: analysis of the mutational spectrum in Escherichia coli rpoB to assess the role of polymerase IV in spontaneous mutation.
abstract: We compared the distribution of mutations in rpoB that lead to rifampin resistance in strains with differing levels of polymerase IV (Pol IV), including strains with deletions of the Pol IV-encoding dinB gene, strains with a chromosomal copy of dinB, strains with the F'128 plasmid, and strains with plasmid amplification of either the dinB operon (dinB-yafNOP) or the dinB gene alone. This analysis identifies several hot spots specific to Pol IV which are virtually absent from the normal spontaneous spectrum, indicating that Pol IV does not contribute significantly to mutations occurring during exponential growth in liquid culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California-Los Angeles, 609 Charles E. Young #1602, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kaibin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hanjing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D019951:DNA Polymerase beta / Q000502:physiology*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C105078:RNA polymerase beta subunit; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta