Differences in mutagenic and recombinational DNA repair in enterobacteria

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.82.12.4172· OSTI ID:5075969

Sedgwick, S G; Goodwin, P A

The incidence of recombinational DNA repair and inducible mutagenic DNA repair has been examined in Escherichia coli and 11 related species of enterobacteria. Recombinational repair was found to be a common feature of the DNA repair repertoire of at least 6 genera of enterobacteria. This conclusion is based on observations of (i) damage-induced synthesis of RecA-like proteins, (ii) nucleotide hybridization between E. coli recA sequences and some chromosomal DNAs, and (iii) recA-negative complementation by plasmids showing SOS-inducible expression of truncated E. coli recA genes. The mechanism of DNA damage-induced gene expression is therefore sufficiently conserved to allow non-E. coli regulatory elements to govern expression of these cloned truncated E. coli recA genes. In contrast, the process of mutagenic repair, which uses umuC+ umuD+ gene products in E. coli, appeared less widespread. Little ultraviolet light-induced mutagenesis to rifampicin resistance was detected outside the genus Escherichia, and even within the genus induced mutagenesis was detected in only 3 out of 6 species. Nucleotide hybridization showed that sequences like the E. coli umuCD+ gene are not found in these poorly mutable organisms. Evolutionary questions raised by the sporadic incidence of inducible mutagenic repair are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 5075969
• Journal Information: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Vol. 12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ESCHERICHIA COLI
DNA REPAIR
GENETIC RADIATION EFFECTS
NUCLEOTIDES
HYBRIDIZATION
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
GENE RECOMBINATION
GENES
MUTATIONS
PROTEINS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BIOLOGICAL REPAIR
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GENETIC EFFECTS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RECOVERY
REPAIR
560131* - Radiation Effects on Microorganisms- Basic Studies- (-1987)