Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in E. coli measured within a fraction of a second

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE yield of radiation-induced strand breaks in DNA is in normal conditions, larger in oxygenated cells than in anoxic cells. This may reflect either radiochemical reactions or preferential repair of breaks formed in anoxia. It is possible to distinguish between these possibilities by experiments in which irradiation and cell lysis are completed within a time period sufficiently short to minimise repair. We have measured in oxic and anoxic cells the yield of strand breakage on bacteriophage λ DNA superinfecting lysogenic bacteria1 and now on chromosomal DNA in experiments where irradiation and lysis are carried out within a fraction of a second.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Johansen, I., Brustad, T., and Rupp, W. D., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 72, 167–171 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rupp, W. D., and Howard-Flanders, P., J. molec. Biol., 31, 291–304 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Dean, C. T., Ormerod, M. G., Seriani, R. W., and Alexander, P., Nature, 222, 1042–1044 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Town, C. D., Smith, K. C., and Kaplan, H. S., Radiat. Res., 52, 99–114 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Modrich, P., and Lehman, J. R., J. biol. Chem., 248, 7502–7511 (1973).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Olivera, B. M., and Lehman, J. R., J. molec. Biol., 36, 261–274 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cooper, S., and Helmstetter, C. E., J. molec. Biol., 31, 519–540 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Boye, E., Johansen, I., and Brustad, T., J. Bact., 119, 522–526 (1974).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Johansen, I., Gulbrandsen, R., and Pettersen, R., Radiat. Res., 58, 384–397 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Adams, G. E., McNaughton, G. S., and Michael, B. D., Trans. Faraday Soc., 64, 902–910 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Grunert, R. R., and Phillips, P. H., Archs Biochem., 30, 217–225 (1951).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of General Genetics, University of Oslo, Blindern

    IVAR JOHANSEN

  2. Department of Medical Physics, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, 3, Norway

    ERIK BOYE

Authors
  1. IVAR JOHANSEN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. ERIK BOYE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

JOHANSEN, I., BOYE, E. Radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in E. coli measured within a fraction of a second. Nature 255, 740–742 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/255740a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/255740a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation