Development of auxotrophy by streptomycin-resistant mutation.

Several streptomycin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli have been isolated which require exogenous isoleucine for growth. The majority of these strains were of streptomycin-dependent phenotype. If grown in the absence of streptomycin, these streptomycin-dependent auxotrophs (Sm(d-aux)) strains were unable to produce beta-galactosidase and aldolase activities and also failed to exhibit donor properties in conjugation. Genetic analysis indicated that the isoleucine requirement of these strains could be caused by a mutation at the strA locus.