The G23 and G25 genes of temperate mycobacteriophage L1 are essential for the transcription of its late genes.
Two lysis-defective but DNA synthesis non-defective temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of mycobacteriophage L1, L1G23ts23 and L1G25ts889 were found to be defective also in phage-specific RNA synthesis in the late period of their growth at 42 degrees C, each to the extent of 50% of that at 32 degrees C. The double mutant, L1G23ts23G25ts889 showed the ts defect in phage RNA synthesis that was nearly additive of those shown individually by the two single-mutant parents. Both G23 and G25 were shown to start functioning sometimes between 30 and 45 min after infection but the former gene might be dispensable after 45 min, while the latter was not. Northern analysis also shows that at 42 degrees C, L1G23ts23 affects RNA synthesis more strongly than L1G25ts889 from L1 DNA segments that serve as the template for late gene transcription. Among the 21 virion and 12 non-virion late proteins synthesized by L1, L1G23ts23 is defective in the synthesis of at least 9 virion and all of non-virion proteins at 42 degrees C. In contrast, L1G25ts889 is completely defective in synthesis of all the 33 late proteins. Possible roles of G23 and G25 in the positive regulation of transcription of different sets of late genes of L1 have been discussed.
Datta
Hirock Jyoti
HJ
Department of Biochemistry, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Calcutta 700 054, West Bengal, India. mandalnc2003@yahoo.com
Mandal
Prajna
P
Bhattacharya
Rajat
R
Das
Niranjan
N
Sau
Subrata
S
Mandal
Nitai Chanda
NC
D003673:Defective Viruses; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020043:Genes, Essential / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009160:Mycobacteriophages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000821:virology; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D050505:Mutant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins