Studies of intracellular thymidine nucleotides. Relationship between the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and the thymidine triphosphate pool in Escherichia coli K12. 1976

T Ohkawa

The two types of mutant strains which show resistance to T-even phage infection have been isolated and been shown to have either a higher or lower ratio of dTDP-sugar to dTTP than that of the parent strains. The one with a higher ratio of dTDP-sugar to dTTP than the parents has a large dTDP-sugar pool and small dTTP pool, and a high level of dTDPG pyrophosphorylase activity. The other one, with a lower ratio of dTDP-sugar to dTTP than the parents, has a small dTDP-sugar pool and large dTTP pool, and a low or deficient level of this enzyme activity. They form an entirely mucoid colony in the synthetic agar plate. Mutant cells (Ter-6 and Ter-21) which have deficient dTDPG pyrophosphorylase activity show 2 -- 3 times higher activity of UDPG pyrophosphoyrlase than that of parent cells. The dTDPG pyrophosphorylase-deficient mutants (Ter-15 and Ter-21) have a 3 -- 4 times higher concentration of dTTP and a faster rate of DNA synthesis and cell division than those of parent strains in growth with external thymine. The dTDPG pyrophosphorylase constitutive mutant (Ter-4) has a 0.5 -- 0.33 smaller dTTP pool and a slower rate of DNA synthesis and cell division than those of parent cells grown in the same medium. In the Ter-15 and Ter-21 mutants, the intracellular dTTP-dependent DNA synthesis rapidly disappeared in thymine suboptimal concentration, but the Ter-4 mutant maintained its dTTP-dependent DNA synthesis over a 20 muM concentration of external thymine. In high concentration (100 muM) of external thymidine, the thymidine effects on the intracellular dTTP concentration do not significantly appear in these enzyme-deficient mutants (Ter-15 and Ter-21). Also, the concentration of intracellular dTTP in the cell growth with external thymidine is 2.5 times greater than that with external thymine in these enzyme-deficient mutants (Ter-15 and Ter-21).

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007700 Kinetics The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D010430 Pentosyltransferases Enzymes of the transferase class that catalyze the transfer of a pentose group from one compound to another.
D002455 Cell Division The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION. M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D003090 Coliphages Viruses whose host is Escherichia coli. Escherichia coli Phages,Coliphage,Escherichia coli Phage,Phage, Escherichia coli,Phages, Escherichia coli
D004261 DNA Replication The process by which a DNA molecule is duplicated. Autonomous Replication,Replication, Autonomous,Autonomous Replications,DNA Replications,Replication, DNA,Replications, Autonomous,Replications, DNA
D004926 Escherichia coli A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc. Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D013045 Species Specificity The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species. Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D013936 Thymidine A nucleoside in which THYMINE is linked to DEOXYRIBOSE. 2'-Deoxythymidine,Deoxythymidine,2' Deoxythymidine
D013941 Thymine One of four constituent bases of DNA. 5-Methyluracil,5 Methyluracil

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T Ohkawa
January 1974, Methods in enzymology,
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