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Genetic duplications induced at very high frequency by ultraviolet irradiation in Escherichia coli

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Summary

We have found that mild ultraviolet irradiation of Escherichia coli leads to a duplication of the glyT purD region of the chromosome to the extent that 3–5% of all surviving chromosomes carry a genetic duplication of this material. The duplications vary in size from less than one to more than five minutes of the chromosome. While the endpoints of the duplications vary, seven of ten characterized have one end between the purD and metA loci, and five of these seven have the other endpoint near the argH locus. Consequently, the region between purD and metA (only 0.1 minutes) seems to be particularly prone to participating in abnormal recombinational events. The UV-induced damage leading to the genetic duplications is subject to dark repair, suggesting the involvment of pyrimidine dimers. Other mutagens such as nitrous acid, ethyl methanesulfonate and nitrosoguanidine are also effective in generating these duplications at high frequency. Evidence is discussed which indicates that some and probably most of the duplications are tandem duplications. However, at least one example was found that is more readily explained by a translocation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania

    C. W. Hill & Gabriele Combriato

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  1. C. W. Hill
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  2. Gabriele Combriato
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Communicated by W. Maas

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Hill, C.W., Combriato, G. Genetic duplications induced at very high frequency by ultraviolet irradiation in Escherichia coli . Molec. gen. Genet. 127, 197–214 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333760

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333760

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