Ends of bacteriophage Mu DNA (original) (raw)

Nature volume 264, pages 580–583 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

THE temperate bacteriophage Mu does not prefer a specific attachment site on the chromosome of Escherichia coli and can apparently engineer the insertion of its DNA irrespective of the host sequences encountered1. The highly promiscuous, non-homologous integrative recombination between Mu DNA and E. coli DNA has prompted a comprehensive analysis of the structure of the Mu genome. The DNA molecules in mature Mu virus particles are linear duplexes of 37–38 kilobases (kb) (ref. 2). When the two Mu DNA strands are separated and reannealed, complete duplexes are not regenerated. Instead, one end is always split into two single-stranded tails, which can be readily seen with an electron microscope3,4. This end of Mu DNA has been identified as the right end or the S end5. The single-stranded tails are generally 1.5 kb in length, although occasionally the single strand can be as short as 0.5 kb or as long as 3.0 kb (ref. 6). The non-renaturation of the S end clearly reflects the heterogeneity of the terminal sequences. Studies on the renaturation kinetics of the Mu DNA have implied that E. coli sequences at the S end are responsible for the heterogeneity7, Allet and Bukhari have proposed that the left end of Mu DNA, the c end, is also not fixed and varies in length by about 100 base pairs8. This proposal stemmed from the observation that the DNA fragment cleaved from the c end of Mu by the restriction endo-nuclease _Hin_dIII (from Hemophilus influenzae) does not give a sharp band on polyacrylamide or Agarose gels after electrophoresis. The heterogenity of the c end is normally not detectable by electron microscopic techniques.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bukhari, A. I., and Zipser, D., Nature, new Biol., 236, 240–243 (1972).
    Article Google Scholar
  2. Martuscelli, J., Taylor, A. L., Cummings, D. J., Chapman, V. A., DeLong, S. S., and Canedo, L., J. Virol., 8, 551–563 (1971).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  3. Daniell, E., Abelson, J., Kim, J. S., and Davidson, N., Virology, 51, 237–239 (1973).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  4. Hsu, M., and Davidson, N., Virology, 58, 229–239 (1974).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  5. Daniell, E., Boram, W., and Abelson, J., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 70, 2153–2156 (1973).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  6. Bukhari, A. I., and Taylor, A. L., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 72, 4399–4403 (1975).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  7. Daniell, E., Kohne, E. E., and Abelson, J., J. Virol., 15, 237–239 (1975).
    Article Google Scholar
  8. Allet, B., and Bukhari, A. I., J. molec. Biol., 92, 529–540 (1975).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Inman, R. B., Schnös, M., and Howe, M. M., Virology, 72, 393–401 (1976).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  10. Southern, E. M., J. molec. Biol., 98, 503–517 (1975).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  11. Sharp, P., Sugden, B., and Sambrook, J., Biochemistry, 12, 3055–3063 (1972).
    Article Google Scholar
  12. Denhardt, D., Biophys. biochem. Res. Commun., 23, 641–646 (1966).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  13. Botchan, M., Topp, W., and Sambrook, J., Cell 9, 269–287 (1976).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  14. Bukhari, A. I., J. molec. Biol., 96, 87–99 (1975).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  15. Maniatis, T., Jeffrey, A., and Kleid, D. G., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 72, 1184–1188 (1975).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  16. Waggoner, B., Gonzales, N. S., and Taylor, A. L., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 71, 1255–1259 (1974).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  17. Schröder, W., Bade, E. G., and Delius, H., Virology, 60, 534–542 (1974).
    Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 11724
    A. I. BUKHARI, S. FROSHAUER & MICHAEL BOTCHAN

Authors

  1. A. I. BUKHARI
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. S. FROSHAUER
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  3. MICHAEL BOTCHAN
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BUKHARI, A., FROSHAUER, S. & BOTCHAN, M. Ends of bacteriophage Mu DNA.Nature 264, 580–583 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/264580a0

Download citation

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.