Summary
Strains of Escherichia coli K12 have been constructed which carry the lex-3 mutation in combination with recA56, recB21, or recC22. The lex − recA −strain is equally as sensitive to ultraviolet light (UV) and ionizing radiation and as recombination-deficient as the corresponding lex + recA −strain, whereas the lex − recB −and lex − recC −strains are somewhat more sensitive to UV and ionizing radiation than the corresponding lex − rec +strain and have approximately the same recombination deficiencies as the respective lex + recB −and Lex + recC −strains. When cultures of the lex − recB −and lex −recC−strains are UV-irradiated, they degrade their DNA at the low rate characteristic of lex + recB −and lex + recC −single mutants, in contrast to the high rate of degradation seen with lex − rec +single mutants.
These results imply that the lex +and recA +products act in the same pathway of DNA repair and that both are needed to limit the DNA breakdown due to the recB +/C+nuclease.
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Moody, E.E.M., Brooks Low, K. & Mount, D.W. Properties of strains of Escherichia coli K12 carrying mutant lex and rec alleles. Molec. Gen. Genet. 121, 197–205 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267047
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267047