Nucleotide sequences of the attachment sites of bacteriophage Mu DNA (original) (raw)

Nature volume 280, pages 247–250 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

THE temperate bacteriophage Mu has the remarkable ability to insert its DNA in apparently random sites of the Escherichia coli chromosome (1–3). All Mu prophages have the same gene order4, and the finding that the prophage and the phage maps are identical suggests that specific sites (attachment sites) at the ends of the Mu genome are used for the integration of Mu5. Phage particles do not contain the excised, free form of the Mu DNA; instead, the Mu genome is flanked by what seems to be heterogeneous bacterial DNA6,7. The variable DNA at both ends of Mu is thought to be generated when Mu DNA is transposed to many new chromosomal sites during replication and is subsequently packaged into phage particles together with adjacent host DNA. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the ends of Mu DNA reported here substantiates this hypothesis and identifies the attachment sites of Mu. Structural features of the attachment sites are presented.

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. Taylor, A. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 50, 1043–1051 (1963).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  2. Bukhari, A. I. & Zipser, D. Nature new Biol. 236, 240–243 (1972).
    Article Google Scholar
  3. Daniell, E., Roberts, R. J. & Abelson, J. J. molec. Biol. 69, 1–8 (1972).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  4. Abelson, J. et al. Virology 54, 90–92 (1973).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  5. Hsu, M.-T. & Davidson, N. Virology 58, 229–239 (1974).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  6. Daniell, E., Kohne, D. E. & Abelson, J. J. Virol. 15, 739–743 (1975).
    CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
  7. Bukhari, A. I., Froshauer, S. & Botchan, M. Nature 264, 580–583 (1976).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  8. Zipser, D., Moses, P., Kahmann, R. & Kamp, D. Gene 2, 263–271 (1977).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Maxam, A. & Gilbert, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 560–564 (1977).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  10. O'Day, K. J., Schultz, D. W. & Howe, M. M. Microbiology (ed. Schlessinger, D.), 48–51 (American Society for Microbiology, 1978).
    Google Scholar
  11. Ohtsubo, H. & Ohtsubo, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 615–619.
  12. Grindley, N. D. F. Cell 13, 419–426 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  13. Rosenberg, M., Court, D., Shimatake, H., Brady, C. & Wulff, D. L. Nature 272, 414 (1978).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  14. Calos, M. P., Johnsrud, L. & Miller, J. H. Cell 13, 411–418 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  15. Ohtsubo, H., Ohmori, H. & Ohtsubo, E. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 43 (1979).
  16. Kamp, D. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 43 (1979).
  17. Allett, B. Cell 16, 123–129 (1979).
    Article Google Scholar
  18. Allet, B. Nature 274, 553–558 (1978).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  19. Kahmann, R., Kamp, D. & Zipser, D. DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. A. & Adhya, S. L.) (Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1977).
    Google Scholar
  20. Chow, L. T., Kahmann, R. & Kamp, D. J. molec. Biol. 113, 591–609 (1977).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  21. Chow, L. T. & Broker, T. R. J. Bact. 133, 1427–1436 (1978).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  22. Bolivar, R. et al. Gene 2, 95–113 (1977).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  23. Murray, N. E. & Murray, K. Nature 251, 476–481 (1974).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 11724
    REGINE KAHMANN & DIETMAR KAMP

Authors

  1. REGINE KAHMANN
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. DIETMAR KAMP
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KAHMANN, R., KAMP, D. Nucleotide sequences of the attachment sites of bacteriophage Mu DNA.Nature 280, 247–250 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/280247a0

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.