Amber dnaG mutation exerting a polar effect on the synthesis of RNA polymerase sigma factor in Escherichia coli.

Three amber mutants of Escherichia coli, dnaG9, dnaG24 and dnaG26, affected in the structural gene (dnaG) for "primase" have been isolated from a parental strain carrying a temperature-sensitive amber suppressor (supF-Ts6). These mutants grow at 30 degrees C but not at 42 degrees C since primase is essential for growth and is synthesized only at low temperatures. Chimeric plasmids carrying dnaG+ but no other chromosomal genes of E. coli complemented the amber mutations, and the plasmid carrying a part of dnaG lost the complementing activity. Beside, plasmids carrying a dnaG amber mutation complemented a temperature-sensitive dnaG mutation only in the presence of amber suppressor. One of the amber mutations, dnaG24 which maps proximal to the NH2-terminus of the dnaG gene, exerted a polar effect on the synthesis of RNA polymerase sigma factor in E. coli.