Date of Award
12-1-1997
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biology
Abstract
The Tus protein binds to nucleotide sequences called Ter sites to form protein-DNA complexes that arrest DNA replication in the terminus region of the E. coli chromosome. To determine if other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae also contain proteins that bind Ter sites, we tested cell extracts of Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella ozaenae, Yersinia enterocolitica, Proteus mirabilis, and Serratia marcescens for Tcr-binding activity. The results indicate that all these bacteria have proteins that bind specifically to Ter sites. Using primers derived from the E. coli tus gene sequence, we amplified by PCR a DNA segment of the appropriate size from all of these bacteria. The amplified DNA from Salmonella typhimurium and Klebsiella ozaenae was sequenced and showed significant homology to the E. coli gene. We believe that the sequences of other species will help us identify the regions of the protein that are most highly conserved and thus important for Tus function.
Recommended Citation
Nilles, Andrew F., "Tus Gene Divergense in the Enterobacteriaceae" (1997). Theses and Dissertations. 2986.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/2986