Genetic analysis of an Escherichia coli mutant with a lesion in stable RNA turnover.

A mutant that rapidly degrades more than 80% of its rRNA and tRNA under defined conditions was genetically analyzed. Two genes, srnA and srnB, are separately located, and the mutated alleles of both are required for degradation of stable RNA in cultures treated with rifampicin at 42 degrees . srnA is closely linked to tsx by matings and transduction tests; by P1 transduction, the gene order is lac (9 min) proC (9.55 min) tsx (9.8 min) srnA (about 10 min) purE (12 min) rnsA (14.4 min). srnB is not yet completely mapped, but is outside the lac-rnsA region, probably in the region between 75 and 90 min.-The product of the rnsA gene, RNase I, is a potent endonuclease of E. coli, and the only one known that can attack ribosomes and tRNA. However, not only are the srn lesions genetically separate from rnsA, but also, derivatives of an srn strain were prepared lacking RNase I, and they retain the Srn(-) phenotype. Thus, no correlation of rapid RNA turnover and RNase I activity has been found.