Summary
The role of pyrimidine dimers in mutagenesis by ultraviolet light was examined by measuring the UV-induced reversion of six different bacteriophage M13 amber mutants for which the neighboring DNA sequences are known. The mutational response at amber (TAG) codons preceded by a guanine or adenine (where no pyrimidine dimer can be formed) were compared with those preceded by thymine or cytosine (where dimer formation is possible). Equivalent levels of UV-induced mutagenesis were observed at both kinds of sites. This observation demonstrates that there is no requirement for a pyrimidine dimer directly at the site of UV-induced mutation in this single-stranded DNA phage. UV irradiation of the phage was also performed in the presence of Ag+ ions, which specifically sensitize the DNA to dimer formation. The two methods of irradiation, when compared at equal survival levels (and presumably equal dimer frequencies), produced equivalent frequencies of reversion of the amber phage. We believe these results indicate that while the presence of pyrimidine dimers may be a prerequisite for UV mutagenesis, the actual mutagenic event can occur at a site some distance removed from a dimer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coulondre C, Miller JH (1977) Genetic studies of the lac repressor. IV. Mutagenic specificity in the lacI gene of Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 117:577–606
Drake JW (1963) Properties of ultraviolet-induced rII mutants of bacteriophage T4. J Mol Biol 6:268–283
Glickman BW (1982) Mutational specificity of UV light in E. coli: Influence of excision repair and the mutator plasmid pKM101. In: 14th annual Rochester Symposium, Lawrence C and Prakash L (eds). Thomas, Springfield, IL, in press
Howard BD, Tessman I (1964) Identification of the altered bases in mutated single-stranded DNA. III. Mutagenesis by ultraviolet light. J Mol Biol 9:372–375
Jagger J (1976) Ultraviolet inactivation of biological systems. In: Wang SY (ed) Photochemistry and photobiology of nucleic acids, vol II. Academic Press, New York, pp 147–186
Lawrence CW, Christensen RB (1979) Absence of relationship between UV induced reversion frequency and nucleotide sequence at the cyc-1 locus of yeast. Mol Gen Genet 177:31–38
Masamune Y (1976) Effect of ultraviolet irradiation of bacteriophage f1 DNA on its conversion to replicative form by extracts of Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet 149:335–345
Meistrich ML, Drake JW (1972) Mutagenic effects of thymine dimers in bacteriophage T4. J Mol Biol 66:107–114
Person S, McCloskey JA, Snipes W, Bockrath RC (1974) Ultraviolet mutagenesis and its repair in an Escherichia coli strain containing a nonsense codon. Genetics 78:1035–1049
Radman M (1974) Phenomenology of an inducible mutagenic DNA repair pathway in Escherichia coli: SOS repair hypothesis. In: Prakash L, Sherman F, Miller MW, Lawrence CM, Taber HW (eds). Thomas, Springfield, IL, pp 128–142
Radman M (1975) SOS repair hypothesis: Phenomenology of an inducible DNA repair which is accompanied by mutagenesis. In: Hanawalt PC, Setlow RB (eds) Molecular mechanisms for repair of DNA. Plenum Press, New York, pp 355–367
Radman M, Villani G, Boiteux S, Defais M, Caillet-Fauquet P, Spadari S (1977) On the mechanism of genetic control of mutagenesis induced by carcinogenic mutagens. In: Hiatt HH, Watson JD, Winsten JA (eds) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, pp 903–922
Rahn RO, Setlow JK, Landry LC (1973) Ultraviolet irradiation of nucleic acids complexed with heavy atoms. III. Influence of Ag+ and Hg2+ on the sensitivity of phage and of transforming DNA to ultraviolet irradiation. Photochem Photobiol 18:39–41
Todd PA, Glickman BW (1982) The mutational specificity of UV-light in excision proficient and excision defective strains of Escherichia coli: indications for a role of DNA secondary structure at mutational hotspots. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (in press)
Van Wezenbeek PMGF, Hulsebos TJM, Schoenmakers JGG (1980) Nucleotide sequence of the filamentous bacteriophage M13 DNA genome: Comparison with phage fd. Gene 11:129–148
Witkin EM (1976) Ultraviolet mutagenesis and inducible DNA repair in Escherichia coli. Bacteriol Rev 40:869–907
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by Ch. Auerbach
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schaaper, R.M., Glickman, B.W. Mutability of bacteriophage M13 by ultraviolet light: Role of pyrimidine dimers. Mol Gen Genet 185, 404–407 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334131
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334131