Summary
Escherichia coli cells in which the recA promoter is fused to a lac structural gene, (Mu) Mud(Ap,lac)::rec, were irradiated with two far-ultraviolet light wavelengths (254 and 290 nm), selected monochromatic near-ultraviolet (NUV) wavelengths 313 nm, 334 nm, 365 nm, or broad band solar-UV (290–420 nm) from a solar simulator. Irradiation with the two far-ultraviolet wavelengths was followed by high yields of β-galactosidase, lambda prophage induction, and Weigle reactivation. These end points were not observed after irradiation with the selected NUV wavelengths or the broad spectrum solar-UV. Thus, neither broad spectrum solar-UV nor monochromatic NUV wavelengths resulted in the derepression of the recA promoter. Further, prior exposure of the cells either to the selected monochromatic NUV wavelengths or to solar-UV inhibited (a) the induction of β-galactosidase by subsequent 254-nm radiation, (b) subsequent 254-nm induction of lambda prophage, (c) Weigle reactivation, and (d) mutation frequency. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that NUV blocks subsequent recA protease action.
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Communicated by F. Kaudewitz
Offprint requests to: Ms. Susan Barr, Editor, Division of Biological and Medical Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
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Turner, M.A., Eisenstark, A. Near-ultraviolet radiation blocks SOS responses to DNA damage in Escherichia coli . Molec. Gen. Genet. 193, 33–37 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327410
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327410