A mutation that increases the activity of nonsense suppressors in Escherichia coli

We have isolated a new mutation, ups, that amplifies the suppressor activity of all the nonsense suppressors we have tested so far at low but not at high temperature. The properties of ups make it a very useful tool to improve the systems of temperature sensitive suppressors thus far described. ups maps between 25 to 27 min on the E. coli genetic map (Bachmann et al., 1976) and has no suppressor activity of its own. Its effects on translational fidelity are not influenced by mutations for ribosomal drug resistance. Thus, ups is different from ram which exhibits cooperative control of translation with other ribosomal proteins. The possible functions of ups in the cell are discussed.