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Role of DNA replication in the induction and turn-off of the SOS response in Escherichia coli

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Summary

We have studied the role of DNA replication in turnon and turn-off of the SOS response in Escherichia coli using a recA::lac fusion to measure levels of recA expression.

An active replication fork does not seem to be necessary for mitomycin C induced recA expression: a dnaA43 initiation defective mutant, which does not induce the SOS response at non-permissive temperature, remains mitomycin C inducible after the period of residual DNA synthesis. This induction seems to be dnaC dependent since in a dnaC325 mutant recA expression not only is not induced at 42° C but becomes mitomycin C non-inducible after the period of residual synthesis.

Unscheduled halts in DNA replication, generally considered the primary inducing event, are not sufficient to induce the SOS response: no increase in recA expression was observed in dnaG(Ts) mutants cultivated at non-permissive temperature. The replication fork is nonetheless involved in induction, as seen by the increased spontaneous level of recA expression in these strains at permissive temperature.

Turn-off of SOS functions can be extremely rapid: induction of recA expression by thymine starvation is reversed within 10 min after restoration of normal DNA replication. We conclude that the factors involved in induction-activated RecA (protease) and the activating molecule (effector)-do not persist in the presence of normal DNA replication.

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Abbreviations

Ts:

thermosensitive

SDS:

sodium dodecyl sulfate

Ap:

ampicillin

UV:

ultraviolet

X-Gal:

5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactoside

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Author notes

  1. Serge Casaregola

    Present address: Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Adrian Building, LE1 7RH, Leicester, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Recherche en Biologie Moléculaire, CNRS, Université Paris VII, 2, place Jussieu, F-75251, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Serge Casaregola, Richard D'Ari & Olivier Huisman

Authors
  1. Serge Casaregola
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  2. Richard D'Ari
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  3. Olivier Huisman
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Communicated by B.A. Bridges

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Casaregola, S., D'Ari, R. & Huisman, O. Role of DNA replication in the induction and turn-off of the SOS response in Escherichia coli . Mol Gen Genet 185, 440–444 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334136

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334136

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