Summary
A study was made of the influence of neutrons on the biological properties ofE. coli K-12. The survival of bacteria irradiated with different doses of neutrons was investigated. A LD50 equal to 2,50–3,000 rad was established.
The morphological changes in the cells were studied immediately after irradiation. There was discovered a sharp growth in the number of coccus-shaped elongated cells, and the appearance of curved, swollen, irregularly staining cells (doses-10 and 40 thousand rad). Irradiation ofE. coli with neutrons (10,000 and 20,000 rad) leads to the formation of biochemical mutants which can be isolated in passing irradiated cells in a fully adequate medium.
The mutants obtained differed from the initial strain only by disordered synthesis of some amino acid (commonly histidine) and stably retained the newly-acquired property.
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Murav'eva, L.I. A study of the mutational variability of E. coli K-12 λ irradiated with nuclear particles in an IRT-1000 reactor. Bull Exp Biol Med 59, 543–546 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00783080
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00783080