The gyrB gene product functions in both initiation and chain polymerization of Escherichia coli chromosome replication: suppression of the initiation deficiency in gyrB-ts mutants by a class of rpoB mutations.

A class of rpoB mutations is described which suppresses replication and transcription deficiency in gyrB-ts mutants shifted to a nonpermissive temperature. The compensatory effect of an altered subunit B of RNA polymerase (rpoB) for the gyrB defect, indicates that transcription is a primary target of the B subunit of DNA gyrase. One gyrB mutation (gyrB402-ts) shows deficiency in chromosome elongation at the nonpermissive temperature, both in vivo and in cells permeabilized with toluene. It is therefore concluded that the gyrB polypeptide functions at least dually in replication; first, at the level of transcription initiation and second, at the level of chain polymerization.