The terminus region of the Escherichia coli chromosome contains two separate loci that exhibit polar inhibition of replication

Abstract

The terminus region of the chromosome of Escherichia coli contains two separate sites, called T1 and T2, that inhibit replication forks. T1 is located near 28.5 min, which is adjacent to trp, and T2 is located at 34.5-35.7 min on the opposite side of the terminus region, near manA. The sites act in a polar fashion, and replication forks traveling in a clockwise direction with respect to the genetic map are not inhibited as they pass through T1 but are inhibited at T2. Similarly, counterclockwise forks are not inhibited at T2 but are inhibited at T1. Consequently, forks are not inhibited until they have passed through the terminus region and are about to leave it. Studies with deletion strains have located T2 within a 58-kilobase interval, which corresponds to kilobase coordinates 387-445 on the physical map of the terminus region.