Clustering of null mutations in the EcoRI endonuclease

EcoRI endonuclease mutants were isolated in a methylase-deficient background following in vitro hydroxylamine mutagenesis of plasmid pKG2 (Kuhn et al.: Gene 44:253-263, 1986). Mutants which survived high-level endonuclease expression (IPTG induction) were termed null mutants. Sixty-two of 121 null mutants tested by Western blot contained normal levels of endonuclease cross-reacting protein. The complete endonuclease gene was sequenced for 27 null mutants. This group was found to consist of 20 single base-change missense mutations, 6 double mutations, and 1 triple mutation. Ten of the 20 single mutations were clustered between residues 139 and 144. When examined with respect to the structure of the EcoRI-DNA complex (McClarin et al.: Science 234:1526-1541, 1986), these alterations were found to fall predominantly into two classes: substitutions at the protein-DNA interface or substitutions at the protein-protein (dimer) interface. Protein from several of the mutants was purified and sized by using HPLC. Wild-type EcoRI endonuclease and protein from three of the DNA interface mutations (Ala139----Thr, Gly140----Ser, Arg203----Gln) appeared to be dimeric, while protein from subunit interface mutations (Glu144----Lys, Glu152----Lys, Gly210----Arg) migrated as monomers.