DNA replication in Escherichia coli gyrB(Ts) mutants analysed by flow cytometry

We have investigated the initiation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli gyrB (Ts) mutants and find that initiations in single cells, even those that occur at non-permissive temperature, are synchronous. Furthermore, our results indicate that the gradual arrest of DNA replication at non-permissive temperature reflects a general decrease in transcription activity and not an initiation-specific function of the DNA gyrase. At an intermediate temperature, the only effect observed was a lack of segregation (decatenation) of replicated chromosomes in a sizeable fraction of the cell population.