Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of lexA and recF mutations on post-replication repair and DNA synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have examined lexA1 uvr A6 and recF143 uvr B δ derivatives of Escherichia coli K-12 for post-replication repair and DNA synthesis after UV irradiation. Compared to corresponding lex + rec+strains, we found that the lexA and recF cells were defective in (1) conveting short DNA segments synthesized after irradiation to DNA of normal size; (2) synthesizing high molecular weight DNA after irradiation; (3) transferring pyrimidine dimers from irradiated DNA into unirradiated daughter strands. Our results support the hypothesis that after UV irradiation the formation of large DNA molecules in excision-deficient cells of E. coli depends directly or indirectly upon joining short DNA segments into longer strands, concomitant with the transfer of DNA from irradiated tamplates into unirradiated daughter strands. This process appears to require the activity of lexA and recF genes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bollum, F. J.: Filter paper techniques for assaying radioactive macromolecules. In: Procedures in nucleic acid research (Cantoni, G. L., and Davies, D. R., eds.), p. 296–300. New York: Harper Row 1966

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridges, B. A., Sedgwick, S. G.: Effect of photoreactivation on the filling of gaps in deoxyribonucleic acid synthesized after exposure of Escherichia coli to ultraviolet light. J. Bact. 117, 1077–1081 (1974a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridges, B. A., Sedgwick, S. G.: Experiments on the filling of daughter-strand gaps during post-replication repair. In: Molecular mechanisms for the repair of DNA (Hanawalt, P. C., and Setlow, R. B., eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1974b

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhl, S. N., Setlow, R. B., Regan, J. D.: Recovery of the ability to synthesize DNA in segments of normal size at long times after ultraviolet irradiation of human cells. Biophys. J. 13, 1265–1275 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrier, W. L., Setlow, R. B.: Paper strip method for assaying gradient fractions containing radioactive macromolecules. Anal. Biochem. 43, 427–432 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Devoret, R., Blanco, M., George, J., Radman, M.: Recovery of phage λ from ultraviolet damage. In: Molecular mechanisms for the repair of DNA (Hanawalt, P. C., and Setlow R. B., eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Donch, J. J., Greenberg, J.: The effect of lex on UV sensitivity, filament formation and λ induction in lon mutants of Escherichia coli. Molec. gen. Genet. 128, 277–281 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganesan, A. K.: A method for detecting pyrimidine dimers in the DNA of bacteria irradiated with low doses of ultraviolet light. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 70, 2753–2756 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganesan, A. K.: Persistence of pyrimidine dimers during post-replication repair in ultraviolet light-irradiated Escherichia coli. J. molec. Biol. 87, 103–119 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganesan, A. K., Smith, K. C.: The duration of recovery and DNA repair in excision-deficient derivatives of Escherichia coli K-12 after ultraviolet irradiation. Molec. gen. Genet. 113, 285–296 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Horii, Z. I., Clark, A. J.: Genetic analysis of the recF pathway to genetic recombination in Escherichia coli K-12: Isolation and characterization of mutants. J. molec. Biol. 80, 327–344 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard-Flanders, P., Rupp, W. D., Wilkins, B. M., Cole, R. S.: DNA replication and recombination after U.V. irradiation. Cold Spr. Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 33, 195–205 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Iyer, V. N., Rupp, W. D.: Usefulness of benzoylated naphtholated DEAE-cellulose to distinguish and fractionate double-stranded DNA bearing different extents of single-stranded regions. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 228, 117–126 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, A. R.: Postreplication repair of DNA in ultraviolet-irradiated mammalian cells. J. molec. Biol. 66, 319–337 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, A. R., Kirk-Bell, S.: Post-replication repair of DNA in ultraviolet-irradiated mammalian cells: No gaps in DNA synthesized late after ultraviolet irradiation. Europ. J. Biochem. 31, 438–445 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, A. R., Kirk-Bell, S.: Effects of caffeine and theophylline on DNA synthesis in unirradiated and UV-irradiated mammalian cells. Mutation Res. 26, 73–82 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Minton, K., Durphy, M., Taylor, R., Friedberg, E. C.: The UV endonuclease of bacteriophage T4: Further characterization. J. biol. Chem. 250, 2823–2829 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mount, D. W., Kosel, C.: Properties of strains of Escherichia coli K-12 carrying mutant lex1 and uvrA6 alleles. Molec. gen. Genet. 120, 291–299 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mount, D. W., Low, K. B., Edmiston, S. J.: Dominant mutations (lex) in Escherichia coli K-12 which affect radiation sensitivity and frequency of ultraviolet light-induced mutations. J. Bact. 112, 886–893 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Radman, M.: The S.O.S. repair hypothesis: Phenomenology of an inducible DNA repair which is accompanied by mutagenesis. In: Molecular mechanisms for the repair of DNA (Hanawalt P. C., and Setlow, R. B., eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, R. H., Kato, T., Clark, A. J.: The beginning of an investigation of the role of recF in the pathways of metabolism of UV-irradiated DNA in E. coli. In: Molecular mechanisms for the repair of DNA (Hanawalt, P. C., and Setlow, R. B., eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Rupp, W. D., Howard-Flanders, P.: Discontinuities in DNA synthesized in an excision-defective strain of E. coli following ultraviolet-irradiation. J. molec. Biol. 31, 291–305 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rupp, W. D., Wilde, C. E., III, Reno, D. L., Howard-Flanders, P.: (1971) Exchanges between DNA strands in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli. J. molec. Biol. 61, 25–44 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedgwick, S. A., Bridges, B. A.: Requirement for either DNA polymerase I or DNA polymerase III in post-replication repair in excision-proficient Escherichia coli. Nature (Lond.) 249, 348–349 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. C., O'Leary, M. E.: The pitfalls of measuring DNA synthesis kinetics as exemplified in ultraviolet radiation studies. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 169, 430–438 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stacey, K. A., Simson, E.: Improved method for the isolation of thymine-requiring mutants of Escherichia coli. J. Bact. 90, 554–555 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Witkin, E. M.: Thermal enhancement of ultraviolet mutability in a dnaB uvrA derivative of Escherichia coli B/r: Evidence for inducible error-prone repair. In: Molecular mechanisms for the repair of DNA (Hanawalt, P. C., and Setlow, R. B., eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Youngs, D. A., Smith, K. C.: Evidence for the control by exrA and polA genes of two branches of the uvr gene-dependent excision repair pathway in Escherichia coli K-12. J. Bact. 116, 175–182 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, California

    Ann K. Ganesan & Patricia C. Seawell

Authors
  1. Ann K. Ganesan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patricia C. Seawell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by R. Devoret

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ganesan, A.K., Seawell, P.C. The effect of lexA and recF mutations on post-replication repair and DNA synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12. Molec. gen. Genet. 141, 189–206 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341799

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341799

Keywords

Search

Navigation