MUTATION CAUSING OVERPRODUCTION OF THE SHORT PEPTIDE COMPONENT GAMMA OF PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEIN 1Bs OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

An Escherichia coli mutant was isolated which overproduces component γ of penicillin-binding protein (PBP)-1Bs. The mutant formed normal amounts of components α and its proteolytic product β. The mutation was located in mrcB, the structural gene coding for PBP-1Bα and γ. The overproduction of the mutant-type PBP-1Bγ was caused by an alteration of one nucleotide which changed the GGC coding for glycine at residue 8 from the N-terminal of PBP-1Bγ to GAC coding for aspartate.