Isolation and characterization of an Escherichia coli K 12 mutant with a temperature sensitive RecA- phenotype

Abstract

A mutation that causes a temperature sensitive RecA- phenotype was identified in a derivative of a PolA- strain that failed to grow at high temperature. The mutant allele (recA200) was shown to be linked to cysC, conferred a sharply temperature sensitive, ultraviolet sensitive Rec- phenotype in the range 35 to 42 C, and in crosses failed to show complementation at 42 C with Hfr's that transferred recA-. Double mutants that carried both recA200 and polA were examined for ability to grow and synthesize DNA at restrictive temperatures.