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. 1966 Jul;92(1):186–196. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.1.186-196.1966

Thymidylate Synthesis and Aminopterin Resistance in Bacillus subtilis

Melba Carr Wilson a,1, James L Farmer a,2, Frank Rothman a
PMCID: PMC276215  PMID: 4957432

Abstract

Wilson, Melba Carr (Brown University, Providence, R.I.), James L. Farmer, and Frank Rothman. Thymidylate synthesis and aminopterin resistance in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 92:186–196. 1966.—The thymine-requirement of Bacillus subtilis 168 thy results from mutation in two unlinked genes (i.e., genetic loci) designated thyA and thyB. The thyB gene is located between the met and ile markers. Both thyA+thyB and thyA thyB+ strains are phenotypically thy+. ThyA+thyB strains resemble the wild type in their sensitivity to aminopterin, poor incorporation of exogenous thymine into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and high level of thymidylate synthetase activity in crude extracts. ThyA thyB+ strains are resistant to aminopterin in the presence of thymine, incorporate exogenous thymine into DNA, and have no detectable thymidylate synthetase activity. Experiments designed to elucidate the role of the thyB gene indicate that it specifies an alternate pathway of thymidylate synthesis, similar to thymidylate synthetase but requiring a cofactor other than tetrahydrofolate. The mechanism of selection of thymine-requiring mutants by aminopterin is revealed by these results.

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Selected References

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

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