Interaction of colicins with bacterial cells. 3. Colicin-tolerant mutations in Escherichia coli.

Mutants that adsorb certain colicins without being killed, i.e., tolerant mutants (tol), were isolated from Escherichia coli K-12 strains. Selection was done either with colicin K or E2. Several groups of mutants showing different phenotypes were found, and some of them showed tolerance to both K and E colicins, which have different receptors. Many of these mutants mapped near gal. Typical mutants from group II, III, and IV were studied in more detail. The mutant loci were contransducible with gal by phage P1. The linkage order was deduced to be tol-gal-lambda. In partially diploid strains, these mutant loci are recessive to wild-type alleles. Temperature-dependent conditionally tolerant mutants were also isolated. Two groups were found: the first was tolerant to E2 and E3 at 40 C, but sensitive at 30 C; the second was tolerant to E2 at 30 C, but sensitive at 40 C. Experiments done with these mutants suggest that these mutations affect the heat lability of some protein that is necessary for the response of cells to colicins. Conditionally lethal tolerant mutants were isolated which at 40 C were tolerant to E2 and E3 and could not grow, but which at 30 C were fully sensitive and grew normally. The mutation mapped near malA. The tolerance at 40 C is not due to a consequence of an inactivation of general cellular metabolism, but presumably is a cause of the subsequent inhibition of cellular growth. The results suggest that some protein components involved in the response to colicin are also vital to normal cellular growth.