Skip to main content
Log in

Selection for purine regulatory mutants in an E. coli hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase double mutant

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have studied the relationship between purine salvage enzymes, 6-mercaptopurine resistance, and the purR phenotype in E. coli. Mutants resistant to 6-mercaptopurine were found to have defects in HPRT, the purR repressor, or in both. Analysis of these mutants led to the isolation of a hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase double mutant (hpt - gpt-) that is extremely sensitive to adenine. Two classes of adenine resistant mutants were isolated from this strain. The first class was deficient in APRT (apt -) while the second class represented purine regulatory mutants (purR -). There is thus selection for the purR phenotype in a hpt - gpt-background.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

FGAR:

formyl glycinamide ribotide

HPRT:

hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase

GPRT:

guanine phosphoribosyl transferase

APRT:

adenine phosphoribosyl transferase

PRPP:

5 phosphoribosyl-1 pyrophosphate

6MP:

6-mercaptopurine

FA:

2-fluoroadenine

References

  • Armitt S, Woods RA (1970) Purine-excreting mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1. Isolation and genetic analysis. Genet Res (Cambridge) 15:7–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson CE, Gots JS (1976) Occurrence of a regulatory deficiency in purine biosynthesis among pur A mutants of Salmonella typhimurium. Mol Gen Genet 145:31–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248

    Google Scholar 

  • Brockman RW (1963) Biochemical aspects of mercaptopurine inhibition and resistance. Cancer Res 23:1191–1201

    Google Scholar 

  • Coggin JH, Loosemore M, Martin WR (1966) Metabolism of 6-mercaptopurine by resistant Escherichia coli cells. J Bacteriol 92:446–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorfman B (1969) The isolation of adenylosuccinate synthetase mutants in yeast by selection for constitutive behaviour in pigmented strains. Genetics 61:337–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Gots JS (1971) Regulation of purine and pyrimidine metabolism. In: Vogel HJ (ed) Metabolic regulation, vol 5. Academic Press, New York, pp 225–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Gots JS, Benson CE, Jochimsen B, Koduri KR (1976) Microbial models and regulatory elements in the control of purine metabolism. In: Purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Ciba Foundation Symposium. Elsevier Press, New York, pp 23–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacob F, Ullmann A, Monod J (1965) Deletions fusionnat l'operon lactose et un operon purine chez Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 13:704–719

    Google Scholar 

  • Jochimsen B, Nygaard P, Vestergaard T (1975) Location on the chromosome of Escherichia coli of genes governing purine metabolism. Mol Gen Genet 143:85–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Koduri RK, Gots JS (1979) Purification and characterization of a DNA binding protein with specificity for Pur genes in Escherichia coli. XI International Congress of Biochemistry, (Abstract). Ottawa, Canada, p 93

  • Levine RA, Taylor MW (1980) Regulation of purine salvage enzymes in E. coli. In: Advances in experimental medicine and biology, vol 122B. Plenum Press, New York, pp 57–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JH (1972) Experiments in molecular genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel HJ, Bonner DM (1956) Acetylornithase of Escherichia coli: partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem 218:97–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Westby CA, Gots JS (1969) Genetic blocks and unique features in the biosynthesis of 5′ phosphoribosyl-N-formylglycinamide in Salmonella typhimurium. J Biol Chem 244:2095–2102

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by E. Bautz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Levine, R.A., Taylor, M.W. Selection for purine regulatory mutants in an E. coli hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase double mutant. Molec. Gen. Genet. 181, 313–318 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425604

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425604

Keywords

Navigation