A novel DNA polymerase induced by Bacillus subtilis phage φ29

Abstract

A novel DNA polymerase induced by Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage ø29 has been identified. This polymerase can be separated frcm host DNA polymerase, by fractionation of extracts prepared from phage infected cells, using phosphocellulose chromatography. The isolated polymerase prefers poly(dA)oligo(dT) as template. The DNA polymerase isolated from the cells infected with a gene 2 temperature sensitive mutant (ts2) showed greater heat-lability than that induced by wild type ø29. The ts2 DNA polymerase was also thermolabile for its activity in the formation of a covalent complex between ø29 terminal protein and dAMP, the initiation step of ø29 DNA replication. These findings indicate that gene 2 is the structural gene for a ø29 DNA polymerase required for the complex formation step of DNA initiation. © 1983 IRL Press Limited.