Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1984 May;158(2):397–403. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.2.397-403.1984

DNA supercoiling in gyrase mutants.

T R Steck, G J Pruss, S H Manes, L Burg, K Drlica
PMCID: PMC215441  PMID: 6327603

Abstract

Nucleoids isolated from Escherichia coli strains carrying temperature-sensitive gyrA or gyrB mutations were examined by sedimentation in ethidium bromide-containing sucrose density gradients. A shift to restrictive temperature resulted in nucleoid DNA relaxation in all of the mutant strains. Three of these mutants exhibited reversible nucleoid relaxation: when cultures incubated at restrictive temperature were cooled to 0 degree C over a 4- to 5-min period, supercoiling returned to levels observed with cells grown at permissive temperature. Incubation of these three mutants at restrictive temperature also caused nucleoid sedimentation rates to increase by about 50%.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bauer W., Vinograd J. The interaction of closed circular DNA with intercalative dyes. I. The superhelix density of SV40 DNA in the presence and absence of dye. J Mol Biol. 1968 Apr 14;33(1):141–171. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90286-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benbow R. M., Eisenberg M., Sinsheimer R. L. Multiple length DNA molecules of bacteriophage phi-X174. Nat New Biol. 1972 May 31;237(74):141–144. doi: 10.1038/newbio237141a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cozzarelli N. R. DNA gyrase and the supercoiling of DNA. Science. 1980 Feb 29;207(4434):953–960. doi: 10.1126/science.6243420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dean F., Krasnow M. A., Otter R., Matzuk M. M., Spengler S. J., Cozzarelli N. R. Escherichia coli type-1 topoisomerases: identification, mechanism, and role in recombination. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1983;47(Pt 2):769–777. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1983.047.01.088. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Drlica K., Engle E. C., Manes S. H. DNA gyrase on the bacterial chromosome: possibility of two levels of action. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Nov;77(11):6879–6883. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.11.6879. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Drlica K., Snyder M. Superhelical Escherichia coli DNA: relaxation by coumermycin. J Mol Biol. 1978 Apr 5;120(2):145–154. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90061-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Filutowicz M., Jonczyk P. Essential role of the gyrB gene product in the transcriptional event coupled to dnaA-dependent initiation of Escherichia coli chromosome replication. Mol Gen Genet. 1981;183(1):134–138. doi: 10.1007/BF00270151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Filutowicz M., Jonczyk P. The gyrB gene product functions in both initiation and chain polymerization of Escherichia coli chromosome replication: suppression of the initiation deficiency in gyrB-ts mutants by a class of rpoB mutations. Mol Gen Genet. 1983;191(2):282–287. doi: 10.1007/BF00334827. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gellert M. DNA topoisomerases. Annu Rev Biochem. 1981;50:879–910. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.004311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gellert M., Fisher L. M., O'Dea M. H. DNA gyrase: purification and catalytic properties of a fragment of gyrase B protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Dec;76(12):6289–6293. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.12.6289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gellert M., Mizuuchi K., O'Dea M. H., Itoh T., Tomizawa J. I. Nalidixic acid resistance: a second genetic character involved in DNA gyrase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Nov;74(11):4772–4776. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.11.4772. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gellert M., Mizuuchi K., O'Dea M. H., Nash H. A. DNA gyrase: an enzyme that introduces superhelical turns into DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Nov;73(11):3872–3876. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.3872. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gellert M., O'Dea M. H., Itoh T., Tomizawa J. Novobiocin and coumermycin inhibit DNA supercoiling catalyzed by DNA gyrase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Dec;73(12):4474–4478. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.12.4474. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Isberg R. R., Syvanen M. DNA gyrase is a host factor required for transposition of Tn5. Cell. 1982 Aug;30(1):9–18. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90006-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kano Y., Miyashita T., Nakamura H., Kuroki K., Nagata A., Imamoto F. In vivo correlation between DNA supercoiling and transcription. Gene. 1981 Mar;13(2):173–184. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(81)90006-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kreuzer K. N., Cozzarelli N. R. Escherichia coli mutants thermosensitive for deoxyribonucleic acid gyrase subunit A: effects on deoxyribonucleic acid replication, transcription, and bacteriophage growth. J Bacteriol. 1979 Nov;140(2):424–435. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.2.424-435.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lockshon D., Morris D. R. Positively supercoiled plasmid DNA is produced by treatment of Escherichia coli with DNA gyrase inhibitors. Nucleic Acids Res. 1983 May 25;11(10):2999–3017. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.10.2999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Manes S. H., Pruss G. J., Drlica K. Inhibition of RNA synthesis by oxolinic acid is unrelated to average DNA supercoiling. J Bacteriol. 1983 Jul;155(1):420–423. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.1.420-423.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Meinke W., Goldstein D. A. Studies on the structure and formation of polyoma DNA replicative intermediates. J Mol Biol. 1971 Nov 14;61(3):543–563. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(71)90064-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Menzel R., Gellert M. Regulation of the genes for E. coli DNA gyrase: homeostatic control of DNA supercoiling. Cell. 1983 Aug;34(1):105–113. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90140-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mirkin S. M., Shmerling Zh G. DNA replication and transcription in a temperature-sensitive mutant of E. coli with a defective DNA gyrase B subunit. Mol Gen Genet. 1982;188(1):91–95. doi: 10.1007/BF00332999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Orr E., Fairweather N. F., Holland I. B., Pritchard R. H. Isolation and characterisation of a strain carrying a conditional lethal mutation in the cou gene of Escherichia coli K12. Mol Gen Genet. 1979;177(1):103–112. doi: 10.1007/BF00267259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pettijohn D. E., Pfenninger O. Supercoils in prokaryotic DNA restrained in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Mar;77(3):1331–1335. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.3.1331. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Pruss G. J., Manes S. H., Drlica K. Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I mutants: increased supercoiling is corrected by mutations near gyrase genes. Cell. 1982 Nov;31(1):35–42. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90402-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sakakibara Y., Suzuki K., Tomizawa J. I. Formation of catenated molecules by replication of colicin E1 plasmid DNA in cell extracts. J Mol Biol. 1976 Dec 15;108(3):569–582. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(76)80137-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sinden R. R., Carlson J. O., Pettijohn D. E. Torsional tension in the DNA double helix measured with trimethylpsoralen in living E. coli cells: analogous measurements in insect and human cells. Cell. 1980 Oct;21(3):773–783. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90440-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Smith G. R. DNA supercoiling: another level for regulating gene expression. Cell. 1981 Jun;24(3):599–600. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90085-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sogo J. M., Greenstein M., Skalka A. The circle mode of replication of bacteriophage lambda: the role of covalently closed templates and the formation of mixed catenated dimers. J Mol Biol. 1976 May 25;103(3):537–562. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(76)90216-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sternglanz R., DiNardo S., Voelkel K. A., Nishimura Y., Hirota Y., Becherer K., Zumstein L., Wang J. C. Mutations in the gene coding for Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I affect transcription and transposition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 May;78(5):2747–2751. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.5.2747. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Stonington O. G., Pettijohn D. E. The folded genome of Escherichia coli isolated in a protein-DNA-RNA complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Jan;68(1):6–9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.1.6. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sundin O., Varshavsky A. Terminal stages of SV40 DNA replication proceed via multiply intertwined catenated dimers. Cell. 1980 Aug;21(1):103–114. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90118-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Trucksis M., Depew R. E. Identification and localization of a gene that specifies production of Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Apr;78(4):2164–2168. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.4.2164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wang J. C. Interaction between DNA and an Escherichia coli protein omega. J Mol Biol. 1971 Feb 14;55(3):523–533. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(71)90334-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Wolf B., Newman A., Glaser D. A. On the origin and direction of replication of the Escherichia coli K12 chromosome. J Mol Biol. 1968 Mar 28;32(3):611–629. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90346-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Worcel A., Burgi E. On the structure of the folded chromosome of Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1972 Nov 14;71(2):127–147. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(72)90342-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. von Wright A., Bridges B. A. Effect of gyrB-mediated changes in chromosome structure on killing of Escherichia coli by ultraviolet light: experiments with strains differing in deoxyribonucleic acid repair capacity. J Bacteriol. 1981 Apr;146(1):18–23. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.1.18-23.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES