Summary
When circular single-stranded DNA of phage S13 is labelled with32P or33P, the transmutations very efficiently bring about a loss of phage infectiousness (efficiency = 1 for32P and 0.73 for33P). For both radionuclides, the lethal efficiencies as well as the lethal events are different. In the case of32P, the lethal event is the loss of the circular integrity of the DNA molecule, occurring as a consequence of a systematic single strand-break caused by each32P decay (100%). Conversely, in the case of33P, the lethal events are either a single strand-break (40%) or a local stereochemical modification (33%). The same primary event, the substitution at each33P decay of a phosphate by a sulfate molecule, leads to one of these lethal events in relation to the decay site. Moreover, neither the phage adsorption nor its genome injection into bacteria depends on the physical state of the genome, and thus lethality is revealed at only the genetic level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apelgot S (1980) Effect létal de la transmutation de33P incorporé dans le bactériophage S13 et mécanisme de rupture de la double hélice de l'ADN. Int J Radiat Biol 37:353–364
Apelgot S (1981) Introduction à l'emploi des radioéléments en Biologic et en Biochimie, Edition Masson, Paris, p 19
Apelgot S, Adloff JP (1978) Transmutation effects of32P and33P incorporated in DNA. In: Ebert M, Howard A (eds) Current Topics in Radiation Research, vol 13. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 61–95
Cols P, Apelgot S, Guillé E (1985) Consequences of transmutation of32P or33P atoms incorporated in DNA of phages S13 or T2: local damages and lethal effect. Radiat Protect Dosim 13:241–243
Hershey AD, Kamen MD, Kennedy JW, Gest H (1951) The mortality of bacteriophage containing assimilated radioactive phosphorus. J Gen Physiol 34:305–319
Krisch RE (1974) Lethal and genetic effects of radiphosphorus decay in bacteriophages SP82G and T7. Int J Radiat Biol 25:261–276
Krisch RE, Zelle MR (1969) Biological effects of radioactive decay: the role of the transmutation effect. In: Augustein LG, Mason R, Zelle M (eds) Advances in radiation biology, vol 3. Academic Press, New York London, pp 177–213
Ley RD, Krisch RE (1974) Lethality and DNA breakage for32P and33P decay in bacteriophage T4. Int J Radiat Biol 25:531–537
Marvin DA, Schaller M (1966) The topology of DNA from the small filamentous bacteriophage fd. J Mol Biol 15:1–7
Rosenthal PN, Fox MS (1970) In vivo restoration in the biological activity of transforming DNA inactivated by32P disintegration. J Mol Biol 50:573–777
Tessman I (1959) Some unusual properties of the nucleic acid in bacteriophages S13 and X174. Virology 7:263–275
Tomizawa J, Ogawa H (1967) Bacteriophage Lambda DNA with different structures found in infected cells. J Mol Biol 23:265–276
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cols, P., Apelgot, S. & Guille, E. Lethal modifications of DNA via the transmutation of32P and33P incorporated in the genome of the S13 bacteriophage. Radiat Environ Biophys 27, 261–275 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01209755
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01209755