Genetics studies on the β subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase

Abstract
A single species of RNA polymerase is responsible for the transcription of genetic material in Escherichia coli; and, each component of this essential enzyme is encoded by a single gene. Nevertheless, we report the characterisation of a viable deletion mutant lacking about 165 bp in the region coding for residues 965 to 1143 of the β subunit of this enzyme. The foreshortened β polypeptide appears to function as normal, suggesting that this region is, in fact, non-essential with regard to the usual functions of E. coli RNA polymerase.