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. 1972 Dec;69(12):3606–3610. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.12.3606

Positive Control of Endolysin Synthesis In Vitro by the Gene N Protein of Phage λ

Jack Greenblatt 1,*
PMCID: PMC389831  PMID: 4509321

Abstract

Positive control in vitro by gene N protein of bacteriophage λ was demonstrated. λ DNA was used to direct in vitro synthesis of λ endolysin in a cell-free protein-synthesizing preparation derived from Escherichia coli. The endolysin synthesis depends on the concomitant in vitro synthesis of λ gene N protein. When λ N- DNA was used to direct the cell-free preparation, endolysin was made only if extract was added from cells in which a λ prophage had been induced. The use of various prophage deletion strains proved that if this stimulating activity made in vivo is coded by a known λ gene, it must be coded by gene N. The ability to stimulate endolysin synthesis in vitro on a λ N- DNA template, therefore, constitutes an assay for N protein.

Keywords: N protein assay, deletion mapping, N protein synthesis

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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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