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The induction of mutants in a non-acid-fast strain ofMycobacterium phlei with nitrous acid

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Abstract

The inactivation and mutagenic effets of nitrous acid on a non-acid-fast strain ofMycobacterium phlei were studied. It was found that 0.017m NaNO2 at pH 4.4 may be used for the induction of auxotrophic mutants, scotochromogenic and achromogenic mutants and STM-resistant mutants. Three doubly auxotrophic mutants, three mutants requiring amino acids and three mutants depending on vitamins were obtained. One mutant was not classified. Eighteen scotochromogenic mutants were isolated, seventeen of them were orange. Only ten achromogenic mutants were isolated. Twelve scotochromogenic and eight achromogenic mutants could be used in further genetic studies as they did not revert spontaneously to photochromogeny. Six auxotrophic mutants could be used due to their low frequency of spontaneous reversions. The frequency of STM-resistant mutants increased on an average seven-fold after the mutagenic treatment as compared with the spontaneous frequency.

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Koníček, J., Málek, I. The induction of mutants in a non-acid-fast strain ofMycobacterium phlei with nitrous acid. Folia Microbiol 15, 48–53 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02867047

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