Summary
The spontaneous DNA breakdown exhibited by recA strains, is reduced after heat induction of a thermoinducible Mu-1 prophage. This inhibition is dependent upon RNA synthesis, suggesting that Mu-1 directs synthesis of a recBC nuclease inhibitor, analogous to the product of the λ gam gene. The genetic evidence presented here shows that Mu-1 enables a λ red gam phage to grow on a recA host. The in vitro assay for ATP-dependent exonuclease activity reveals a complete inhibition of this activity 30 min after induction of the Mu-1 prophage.
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Communicated by F. Stahl
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Van Vliet, F., Couturier, M., De Lafonteyne, J. et al. Mu-1 directed inhibition of DNA breakdown in Escherichia coli, recA cells. Molec. Gen. Genet. 164, 109–112 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267606
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267606