Genetic Analysis of a Pleiotropic Mutant of Klebsiella pneumoniae Affected in Nitrogen Metabolism

SUMMARY: Genetic and reversion analyses of a thermosensitive pleiotropic mutant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae with defects in nitrogen fixation and nitrogen metabolism have shown that the pleiotropic behaviour of the mutant is due to a single mutation in a gene designated nim. This gene is cotransducible with trp at a frequency of about 30% (using bacteriophage P1) and with cys at a frequency of about 14%. The gene order is cys, trp, nim. The defect in the nim mutant is complemented by the E. coli F’ element, F’148.