PROPERTIES OF ADENYL-CYCLASE AND CYCLIC ADENOSINE-3',5'-MONOPHOSPHATE RECEPTOR PROTEIN-DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI

Several spontaneous cya and crp mutants of E. coli were selected as clones simultaneously resistant to phage .lambda. and nalidixic acid and characterized. Both cya and crp mutants grew as cocci with increased doubling times. They have increased resistance to some mutagens (methylmethanesulfonate, UV light, .gamma. rays), antibiotics (nalidixic acid, ampicillin), phage (.lambda., T6), sublethal heat and hypotonic shock, and decreased resistance to neutral detergents (sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium deoxycholate), a protein synthesis inhibitor (streptomycin) and a respiratory inhibitor (sodium azide). The nature of changes in cell parameters indicate fundamental alterations in the envelope structure of the cya and crp mutant cells. The new cya and crp mutants are multiply carbohydrate negative and non-motile in conformity with similar previously isolated mutants. Studies of revertants and .phi.80 cya+ and .phi.80 cya transductants indicated that the pleiotropic phenotype is related to a single mutational event at the cya or the crp locus in the mutants.