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. 1967 Feb;93(2):584–591. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.2.584-591.1967

Induction of Capsular Polysaccharide Synthesis by p-Fluorophenylalanine in Escherichia coli Wild Type and Strains with Altered Phenylalanyl Soluble Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase

Soosang Kang 1, Alvin Markovitz 1
PMCID: PMC276481  PMID: 5335965

Abstract

Escherichia coli K-12 strain AB259 can be induced to form capsular polysaccharide (mucoid clones) by dl-p-fluorophenylalanine (FPA; 5 × 10−6m on agar plates at 37 C or 8 × 10−5m in liquid medium at 30 C). The change was shown to be phenotypic. An increase in enzymes probably involved in capsular polysaccharide synthesis [phosphomannose isomerase (3.3-fold), uridine diphosphate-d-galactose-4-epimerase (2.5-fold), and guanine diphosphate-l-fucose synthetase] was demonstrated as a result of growth in FPA. These increases appear sufficient to account for the increased synthesis of capsular polysaccharide due to growth in FPA. FPA-resistant derivatives of strain AB259 were obtained by selecting mutants on FPA-containing agar or by transducing in an altered phenylalanyl soluble ribonucleic acid synthetase that activates FPA poorly. Mucoid clones were formed by these strains only in the presence of 30 to 1,000 times as much FPA. Among these strains, there was a close correlation between incorporation of FPA-C14 and induction of capsular polysaccharide synthesis. The results are thus consistent with the following model: FPA is incorporated into the protein product of the R1 gene (repressor) and alters it sufficiently to allow derepression of several enzymes.

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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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