Bacteriophage lambda hin function: I. Pleiotropic alteration in host physiology

Abstract

Expression of a bacteriophage lambda gene(s), hin, located between 62.5 and 66.3 lambda fractional lengths, is responsible for a number of alterations in Escherichia coli physiology. 1. (1) The incorporation of exogenous uridine, thymidine and leucine into macromolecules is strongly inhibited. In the case of uridine, we have shown that the nucleoside fails to enter the nucleoside triphosphate pools. 2. (2) Cellular cyclic AMP levels fall; the induction of β-galactosidase is inhibited. 3. (3) There is an accumulation of ppGpp. Since the affected cells are relA, this increase is not mediated through the stringent response. We believe that these phenotypes result from an alteration of the E. coli membrane produced by lambda hin gene product(s).