Effect of mutation to streptomycin resistance on amber suppressor genes.

Three classes of nonidentical streptomycin-resistant mutations were distinguished in Escherichia coli by their effect on the efficiency of suppression by an amber suppressor gene, sup E. The first class of mutation caused a strong restriction in efficiency of suppression of an amber codon in various cistrons of phage lambda and in an alkaline phosphatase structural gene of E. coli. The second class caused weak restriction, and the third class caused no restriction. The restrictive effect of the streptomycin resistance mutation of the first class on the sup E gene was reduced by addition of streptomycin. This mutation had little effect on efficiencies of suppression by amber suppressor genes sup D and sup F. Analyses on the alkaline phosphatase formed in the suppressor strain indicated that mutation to restrictive streptomycin resistance causes a reduction in translation of the amber codon in the alkaline phosphatase structural gene.