Summary
We have examined DNA strand breakage, DNA degradation, and the rate of DNA synthesis in lig and lig-recB strains of Escherichia coli K12 incubated in the presence and absence of 3 μg/ml chloramphenicol. Substantial DNA strand breakage and DNA degradation is observed in the lig strain upon growth at 40°C; however, such strand breakage and DNA degradation is not observed in the lig-recB strain. Incubation of the lig strain at 40°C in the presence of 3 μg/ml chloramphenicol reduces the amount of DNA strand breakage and DNA degradation to the level observed in the lig-recB strain. Together, these results demonstrate that exonuclease V (the recBC gene product) is responsible for the increased DNA degradation associated with DNA ligase deficiency.
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Communicated by B.A. Bridges
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Morse, L.S., Beck, L.A. & Pauling, C. Effect of chloramphenicol and the recB gene product on DNA metabolism in Escherichia coli K12 strains defective in DNA ligase. Molec. gen. Genet. 147, 79–82 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337939
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337939