Identification of the dnaA and dnaN gene products of Escherichia coli

Abstract

A specialized transducing lambda phage carrying the dnaN and dnaA genes of Escherichia coli specifies two proteins of about 41 and 48 kilodaltons (kd). The temperature-sensitive mutations, dnaN59 and dnaA167, were found to result in altered isoelectric points of the 41 and 48 kd proteins, respectively. Thus the dnaN gene product was identified as a weakly acidic 41 kd protein, and the dnaA gene product as a weakly basic 48 kd protein. The synthesis of the dnaN gene product is greatly reduced by insertion of a transposon Tn3 in the dnaA gene and by deletion in the gene at the distal end to the dnaN gene. Temperature-sensitive dnaA mutations, on the other hand, do not affect the synthesis of the dnaN gene product. These results indicate that the synthesis of the dnaN gene product is dependent on the structural integrity of the dnaA gene.