This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Siegel, J. E. D. Articles by Hayashi, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Siegel, J. E. D. Articles by Hayashi, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol. 1969 October; 4(4): 400-407
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

X-174 Bacteriophage Structural Mutants Which Affect Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis

Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037

ABSTRACT

Seven cistrons in X-174 were identified and one in particular was studied intensively: cistron A, which is assigned a protein in the mature phage. Amber mutants in this cistron synthesize a new deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) form in addition to circular phage DNA upon infection of the restrictive host. This DNA is linear, non-infectious, and single-stranded; it is formed from the phage strand of replicative form X-174 DNA. These mutants produce two different defective particles in the restrictive host. One particle contains circular phage DNA but is not infectious; the other contains the new DNA form and is similar to the 70S particles found in wild-type phage lysates. The mutant A gene product acts independently of normal A protein upon mixed infection of the restrictive host with an A mutant and a mutant from any other cistron or wild type.

¹ Present address: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.