Mutagenic DNA repair in enterobacteria

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Bacteriology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5752613

Sedgwick, S G ^[1]; Ho, Chao; Woodgate, R ^[2]

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1. National Inst. for Medical Research, London (England)
2. National Inst. of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD (United States)

Sixteen species of enterobacteria have been screened for mutagenic DNA repair activity. In Escherichia coli, mutagenic DNA repair is encoded by the umuDC operon. Synthesis of UmuD and UmuC proteins is induced as part of the SOS response to DNA damage, and after induction, the UmuD protein undergoes an autocatalytic cleavage to produce the carboxy-terminal UmuD{prime} fragment needed for induced mutagenesis. The presence of a similar system in other species was examined by using a combined approach of inducible-mutagenesis assays, cross-reactivity to E. coli UmuD and UmuD{prime} antibodies to test for induction and cleavage of UmuD-like proteins, and hybridization with E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium u mu DNA probes to map umu-like genes. The results indicate a more widespread distribution of mutagenic DNA repair in other species than was previously thought. They also show that umu loci can be more complex in other species than in E. coli. Differences in UV-induced mutability of more than 200-fold were seen between different species of enteric bacteria and even between multiple natural isolates of E. coli, and yet some of the species which display a poorly mutable phenotype still have umu-like genes and proteins. It is suggested that umuDC genes can be curtailed in their mutagenic activities but that they may still participate in some other, unknown process which provides the continued stimulus for their retention.

• OSTI ID: 5752613
• Journal Information: Journal of Bacteriology; (United States), Vol. 173:18; ISSN 0021-9193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
DNA REPAIR
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
MUTAGENESIS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENE OPERONS
GENE REGULATION
SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BIOLOGICAL REPAIR
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVALUATION
MICROORGANISMS
RADIATIONS
RECOVERY
REPAIR
SALMONELLA
560130* - Radiation Effects on Microorganisms