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A DNA-dependent ATPase has previously been purified from bacteriophage T4-infected Escherichia coli. A mutant phage strain lacking this enzyme has been isolated and characterized. Although the mutant strain produced no detectable DNA-dependent ATPase, growth properties were not affected. Burst sizes were similar for the mutant phage and T4D in polA1, recB, recC, uvrA, uvrB, uvrC, and various DNA-negative E. coli. UV sensitivity and genetic recombination were normal in a variety of E. coli hosts. Mapping data indicate that the genetic locus controlling the mutant occurs near gene 56. The nonessential nature of this gene is discussed.

Infection by bacteriophage T4 has previously been shown to cause a rapid inhibition of the host recBC DNase, an ATP-dependent DNase that is required for genetic recombination in Escherichia coli. We report here the partial purification of a protein ("T4 rec inhibitor") from extracts of T4-infected cells and some characteristics of the in vitro inhibition reaction with purified inhibitor and recBC nuclease. This inhibitory activity could not be purified from extracts of uninfected E. coli. Both the ATP-dependent exonuclease and DNA-dependent ATPase activities of recBC DNase are inhibited by T4 rec inhibitor. Experiments suggest that the inhibitor interacts with the nuclease in a stoichiometric manner. The biological significance of this inhibition is discussed with respect to control reactions in phage-infected cells.

Studies have been made of the effect of the DNA delay mutations of bacteriophage T4 on growth and genetic recombination in a number of Escherichia coli hosts. DNA delay mutations in genes 39, 52, 58 (61), and 60 result in abnormally high recombination frequencies. These high recombination frequencies are discussed in the context of other observations.

Ordinarily, enzymes that catalyze bimolecular reactions involving DNA and nucleoside triphosphates are assayed in terms of the predicted changes in DNA. However, by assay of the enzymes by changes in nucleoside triphosphates, new enzymes may be sought without prior knowledge of the role of DNA in the reaction. This approach was used to isolate two new enzymes from Escherichia coli and one from T4 phage-infected E. coli. In this communication, the general application of this technique and its specific use in the isolation of two DNA-dependent ATPases from E. coli are described. Both enzymes catalyze a DNA-dependent cleavage of ATP to ADP and Pi. The two enzymes can be distinguished by their characteristic activities with different DNAs and synthetic polydeoxynucleotides. Neither of the enzymes shows endonuclease or exonuclease activity in conventional assays. These reactions were studied by isotope-exchange experiments. The discovery of these enzymes attests to the effectiveness of this method to seek new reactions involving nucleic acids. Moreover, our results suggest that other enzymes of nucleic acid metabolism may be found and purified by this new approach.