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Mutational specificity of a conditional Escherichia coli mutator, mutD5

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Summary

MutD5, a conditional mutator in Escherichia coli, causes the stimulation of mutation frequencies 50 to 100 fold in minimal medium. In rich medium mutation frequencies are further increased 50 to 100 fold. We show here that all possible base-pair mutations are increased in a mutD5 strain grown in rich medium. A:T↔G:C transitions as well as A:T↔C:G, A:T↔T:A aud G:C↔C:G transversions are stimulated. Transitions occur more frequently than transversions. MutD5 also increases the reversion frequencies of three trpA frameshift mutations by causing base-pair additions, and, possibly, base-pair deletions.

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Communicated by E. Witkin

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Fowler, R.G., Degnen, G.E. & Cox, E.C. Mutational specificity of a conditional Escherichia coli mutator, mutD5 . Molec. Gen. Genet. 133, 179–191 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267667

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