Multiple defects in Escherichia coli mutants lacking HU protein

Abstract

The HU protein isolated from Escherichia coli, composed of two partially homologous subunits, alpha and beta, shares some of the properties of eucaryotic histones and is a major constituent of the bacterial nucleoid. We report here the construction of double mutants totally lacking both subunits of HU protein. These mutants exhibited poor growth and a perturbation of cell division, resulting in the formation of anucleate cells. In the absence of HU, phage Mu was unable to grow, to lysogenize, or to carry out transposition.