Effects of 3'-fluorothymidine, nalidixic acid, and mitomycin C on temperature-sensitive mutants of the DNA polymerase of phage T4

Abstract

The temperature-sensitive DNA polymerase mutator mutants A58 and L98 are less inhibited by 3'-Fluorothymidine than the T4 wild type and the antimutator mutant CB121, in consequence of the assumed differences between the polymerase-associated exonuclease activities. This interpretation is confirmed by results with nalidixic acid and mitomycin C. The use of systems of different temperature-sensitive mutants of one or more genes is proposed for 1.) investigating the mode of action of drugs, 2.) studies on the mechanism of enzyme action and the functions affected in temperature-sensitive enzymes, and 3.) for enzyme-specific drug screening.