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A clear-plaque mutation (c2) of bacteriophage M13 has been shown to affect the regulation of viral DNA synthesis. This mutation increases the amount of the duplex replicative form DNA per cell while decreasing the synthesis of viral single strands. The relative synthesis of the M13 gene 5 protein is approximately half that observed in wild-type infections, suggesting that the effect of the c2 mutation on the regulation of viral DNA synthesis is a result of reduced expression of gene 5.

Bacteriophage phi X 174 gene D product, a protein required for single-stranded DNA synthesis by the phage, has been purified to near homogeneity. The protein is very abundant; approximately 10(5) monomers are present per infected cell when lysis is delayed. The protein has a monomer molecular weight of 15,200 and is normally a tetramer; however, it can form very large aggregates at high concentrations. Amino acid analysis shows an excess of arginine over lysine and a relatively high number of nonpolar residues. The protein carries a net negative charge at neutral pH. The first eight amino acids of the protein sequence have been determined; they are Ser-Gln-Val-Thr-Glu-Gln-Arg-Val. The carboxy-terminal residue is methionine. The protein has not yet been shown to bind directly to any single-stranded DNA; it does not adsorb to denatured calf thymus DNA-cellulose.

An exonuclease has been partially purified from XP-12-infected Xanthomonas oryzae which is not found in uninfected X. oryzae. Although both the phage-induced exonuclease and the major host exonucleolytic DNase released 5'-mononucleotides, these enzymes differed in their chromatographic behavior, pH optimum, salt inhibition, and heat sensitivity. These two exonucleases preferred different substrates. Nicked native DNA was the best substrate for the phage-induced enzyme, whereas denatured DNA was the best substrate for the host enzyme. Also, the host enzyme had a significant preference for denatured or nicked, normal cytosine-containing DNA (e.g., X. oryzae or T7 DNA) over similarly denatured or nicked 5-methylcytosine-rich DNA (namely, XP-12DNA), whereas the phage-induced enzyme hydrolyzed both types of DNA equally well.