The genes for the eight subunits of the membrane bound ATP synthase of Escherichia coli.

The genes for the eight subunits of the membrane bound ATP synthase of Escherichia coli (Ca++, Mg++ dependent ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3) were mapped through genetic, physical and functional analysis of specialized transducing phages lambda asn (von Meyenburg et al. 1978). The ATP synthase genes, designated atp1, are located at 83.2 min in a segment of the chromosome between 3.5 and 11.3 kb left (counterclockwise) of the origin of replication oriC. The counterclockwise order of the genes for the eight subunits, the expression of which starts from a control region at 3.5 kb-L, was found to be: a, (c, b, delta), alpha, gamma, (epsilon, beta) which in the notation of Downie el al. (1981) reads atp B (EFH) A G (C D). The analysis was in part based on the isolation of new types of atp (unc, Suc-) mutations. We made use of the fact that specialized transducing phages lambda asn carrying oriC can establish themselves as minichromosomes rendering asnA cells Asn+, and that the resulting Asn+ cells grow slowly if the lambda asn carries part or all of the atp operon. Selecting for fast growing strains mutations were isolated on the lambda asn which either eliminated atp genes or affected their expression ("promoter" mutations). The relationship between these atp mutations and the cop mutations of Ogura et al. (1980), which also appear to map in front of or within the atp genes, is discussed.