Bacterial cell division regulation: characterization of the dnaH locus of Escherichia coli.

The dnaH locus is the fourth gene to be identified as required for deoxyribonucleic acid polymerization in Escherichia coli. A temperature-sensitive mutant defective in this gene exhibited an abrupt decrease in rate of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis when shifted to 42 C. The locus mapped in the proC-purE region of the chromosome by conjugation and was co-transducible with purE. dnaH(+) is carried on the F'(13) episome and is dominant over the dnaH(-) mutation.