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Glucose-induced resistance to methyl methanesulfonate in Escherichia coli

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Summary

The sensitivities to inactivation by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) of repairproficient and deficient strains of Escherichia coli K-12 and B grown to the stationary phase in nutrient broth (NB) or in glucose-enriched nutrient broth (GNB) have been compared. GNB-grown Rec+ and B/r cells are much more resistant to MMS at low exposures than are such cells grown in NB. Rec− cells, whether Uvr+ or Uvr−, do not exhibit this glucose-induced resistance (GIR). Strains Bs-1 and BII also do not exhibit GIR. Caffeine added to the posttreatment plating agar at non-lethal concentrations abolishes GIR. It is suggested that growth in GNB enhances, at low exposure, the type of repair controlled by the rec genes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Reactor Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

    D. A. Scudiero, B. S. Friesen & J. E. Baptist

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  1. D. A. Scudiero
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  2. B. S. Friesen
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  3. J. E. Baptist
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Additional information

Communicated by Ch. Auerbach

Supported in part by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract No. AT(11-1)-1686. This is report No. COO-1686-20.

Supported in part by the United States Public Health Service Training Grants No.'s 1 RH 00080-03 and T01 EC 00053.

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Scudiero, D.A., Friesen, B.S. & Baptist, J.E. Glucose-induced resistance to methyl methanesulfonate in Escherichia coli . Molec. Gen. Genet. 115, 277–288 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268891

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268891

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