Phage Mu's c gene product is a cooperative regulatory protein that binds to a large, complex, tripartite 184-bp operator. To probe the mechanism of repressor action, we isolated and characterized 13 phage mutants that cause Mu to undergo lytic development when cells are shifted from 30 to 42 °C. This collection contained only four mutations in the repressor gene, and all were clustered near the N terminus. The cts62 substitution of R47→Q caused weakened specific DNA recognition and altered cooperativity in vitro. A functional repressor with only 63 amino acids of Mu repressor fused to a C-terminal fragment of β-galactosidase was constructed. This chimeric protein was an efficient repressor, as it bound specifically to Mu operator DNA in vitro and its expression conferred Mu immunity in vivo. A DNA looping model is proposed to explain regulation of the tripartite operator site and the highly cooperative nature of repressor binding.
