Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1985 Aug;163(2):534–542. doi: 10.1128/jb.163.2.534-542.1985

Mutations in the spoT gene of Salmonella typhimurium: effects on his operon expression.

K E Rudd, B R Bochner, M Cashel, J R Roth
PMCID: PMC219155  PMID: 3894329

Abstract

The spoT gene of Salmonella typhimurium has been identified. Mutations in spoT map between gltC and pyrE at 79 min. The spoT1 mutant has elevated levels of guanosine 5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) during steady-state growth and exhibits a slower than normal decay of ppGpp after reversal of amino acid starvation. The spoT1 mutation elevates his operon expression but is distinct from known his regulatory mutations. Elevated his operon expression in spoT mutants causes resistance to the histidine analogs, 1,2,4-triazole-3-alanine and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. These properties of spoT mutants allowed us to identify and characterize additional spoT mutants. Approximately 40% of these mutants are temperature sensitive for growth on minimal medium, suggesting that the spoT function is essential or that excessive accumulation of ppGpp is lethal.

Full text

PDF
534

Images in this article

539Image
on p.539

Selected References

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

  1. ALFOELDI L., STENT G. S., HOOGS M., HILL R. PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE RNA CONTROL (RC) GENE IN E. COLI. Z Vererbungsl. 1963 Nov 21;94:285–302. doi: 10.1007/BF00894773. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. AMES B. N., HARTMAN P. E., JACOB F. Chromosomal alterations affecting the regulation of histidine biosynthetic enzymes in Salmonella. J Mol Biol. 1963 Jul;7:23–42. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(63)80016-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. An G., Justesen J., Watson R. J., Friesen J. D. Cloning the spoT gene of Escherichia coli: identification of the spoT gene product. J Bacteriol. 1979 Mar;137(3):1100–1110. doi: 10.1128/jb.137.3.1100-1110.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Antón D. N. Histidine regulatory mutants in Salmonella typhimurium. V. Two new classes histidine regulatory mutants. J Mol Biol. 1968 May 14;33(3):533–546. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90304-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bochner B. R., Ames B. N. Complete analysis of cellular nucleotides by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. J Biol Chem. 1982 Aug 25;257(16):9759–9769. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cashel M., Kalbacher B. The control of ribonucleic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. V. Characterization of a nucleotide associated with the stringent response. J Biol Chem. 1970 May 10;245(9):2309–2318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cieslà Z., Salvatore F., Broach J. R., Artz S. W., Ames B. N. Histidine regulation in Salmonella typhimurium. XVI. A sensitive radiochemical assay for histidinol dehydrogenase. Anal Biochem. 1975 Jan;63(1):44–55. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(75)90187-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davidson J. P., Wilson D. J., Williams L. S. Role of a hisU gene in the control of stable RNA synthesis in Salmonella typhimurium. J Mol Biol. 1982 May 15;157(2):237–264. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90232-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fiil N. P., Willumsen B. M., Friesen J. D., von Meyenburg K. Interaction of alleles of the relA, relC and spoT genes in Escherichia coli: analysis of the interconversion of GTP, ppGpp and pppGpp. Mol Gen Genet. 1977 Jan 7;150(1):87–101. doi: 10.1007/BF02425329. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Friesen J. D., An G., Fiil N. P. Nonsense and insertion mutants in the relA gene of E. coli: cloning relA. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1187–1197. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90045-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Heinemeyer E. A., Richter D. Mechanism of the in vitro breakdown of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Sep;75(9):4180–4183. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.9.4180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hilton J. L., Kearney P. C., Ames B. N. Mode of action of the herbicide, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole(amitrole): inhibition of an enzyme of histidine biosynthesis. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1965 Dec;112(3):544–547. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(65)90093-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Isono K., Schnier J., Kitakawa M. Genetic fine structure of the pyrE region containing the genes for ribosomal proteins L28 and L33 in Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet. 1980;179(2):311–317. doi: 10.1007/BF00425458. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Johnson G. S., Adler C. R., Collins J. J., Court D. Role of the spoT gene product and manganese ion in the metabolism of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1979 Jun 25;254(12):5483–5487. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kari C., Török I., Travers A. ppGpp cycle in Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet. 1977 Feb 15;150(3):249–255. doi: 10.1007/BF00268123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LEVIN A. P., HARTMAN P. E. ACTION OF A HISTIDINE ANALOGUE, 1,2,4-TRIAZOLE-3-ALANINE, IN SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM. J Bacteriol. 1963 Oct;86:820–828. doi: 10.1128/jb.86.4.820-828.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Laffler T., Gallant J. A. Stringent control of protein synthesis in E. coli. Cell. 1974 Sep;3(1):47–49. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(74)90036-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Maloy S. R., Roth J. R. Regulation of proline utilization in Salmonella typhimurium: characterization of put::Mu d(Ap, lac) operon fusions. J Bacteriol. 1983 May;154(2):561–568. doi: 10.1128/jb.154.2.561-568.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Martin R. G. Polarity in relaxed strains of Salmonella typhimurium. J Mol Biol. 1968 Jan 14;31(1):127–134. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90060-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Neidhardt F. C., Bloch P. L., Smith D. F. Culture medium for enterobacteria. J Bacteriol. 1974 Sep;119(3):736–747. doi: 10.1128/jb.119.3.736-747.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Parker J., Watson R. J., Friesen J. D. A relaxed mutant with an altered ribosomal protein L11. Mol Gen Genet. 1976 Feb 27;144(1):111–114. doi: 10.1007/BF00277313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Roth J. R., Antón D. N., Hartman P. E. Histidine regulatory mutants in Salmonella typhimurium. I. Isolation and general properties. J Mol Biol. 1966 Dec 28;22(2):305–323. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(66)90134-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sanderson K. E., Roth J. R. Linkage map of Salmonella typhimurium, Edition VI. Microbiol Rev. 1983 Sep;47(3):410–453. doi: 10.1128/mr.47.3.410-453.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schmid M. B., Roth J. R. Internal promoters of the his operon in Salmonella typhimurium. J Bacteriol. 1983 Feb;153(2):1114–1119. doi: 10.1128/jb.153.2.1114-1119.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Somerville C. R., Ahmed A. rel-dependent methionine requirement in revertants of a methionyl-transfer RNA synthetase mutant of Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1977 Mar 25;111(1):77–81. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(77)80133-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Stephens J. C., Artz S. W., Ames B. N. Guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp): positive effector for histidine operon transcription and general signal for amino-acid deficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Nov;72(11):4389–4393. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.11.4389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sy J. In vitro degradation of guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 3'-diphosphate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5529–5533. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Uzan M., Danchin A. A rapid test for the rel A mutation in E. coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1976 Apr 5;69(3):751–758. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(76)90939-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Uzan M., Danchin A. Correlation between the serine sensitivity and the derepressibility of the ilv genes in Escherichia coli relA- mutants. Mol Gen Genet. 1978 Sep 20;165(1):21–30. doi: 10.1007/BF00270372. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. VOGEL H. J., BONNER D. M. Acetylornithinase of Escherichia coli: partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem. 1956 Jan;218(1):97–106. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Winkler M. E., Roth D. J., Hartman P. E. Promoter- and attenuator-related metabolic regulation of the Salmonella typhimurium histidine operon. J Bacteriol. 1978 Feb;133(2):830–843. doi: 10.1128/jb.133.2.830-843.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Winkler M. E., Zawodny R. V., Hartman P. E. Mutation spoT of Escherichia coli increases expression of the histidine operon deleted for the attenuator. J Bacteriol. 1979 Sep;139(3):993–1000. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.3.993-1000.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES