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The effects of caffeine, ultraviolet and X-irradiation on DNA breakdown in E. coli B and some of its dark repair mutants

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Summary

Caffeine (4 and 8 mM) increased the rate of spontaneous DNA breakdown which occurred during normal growth of a culture of E. coli Bs-11, but neither affected breakdown in the EXR strain Bs-2 nor the parental strain B. It slightly impaired the rate of DNA breakdown which follows UV-irradiation of E. coli B, but did not depress the final fraction degraded. On the other hand even 12 mM caffeine had no detectable effect on the (excessive) rate of DNA breakdown of U. V.-irradiated cultures of the EXR strain Bs-2. The effects of X-irradiation on DNA breakdown in E. coli B and a number of its U. V.-sensitive and resistant mutants are described. Caffeine had no detectable effect on the kinetics of X ray-induced DNA breakdown of E. coli B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Animal Genetics, C. S. I. R. O., P. O. Box 90, 2121, Epping, N. S. W., Australia

    G. W. Grigg

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  1. G. W. Grigg
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Communicated by E. M. Witkin

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Grigg, G.W. The effects of caffeine, ultraviolet and X-irradiation on DNA breakdown in E. coli B and some of its dark repair mutants. Molec. Gen. Genetics 106, 228–238 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340382

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340382

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