Use of 8-azaguanine for the isolation of auxotrophic mutants of Bacillus megaterium.

Wachsman, J. T. (University of Illinois, Urbana) and R. Mangalo. Use of 8-azaguanine for the isolation of auxotrophic mutants of Bacillus megaterium. J. Bacteriol. 83:35-37. 1962.-8-Azaguanine is bactericidal for Bacillus megaterium strain KM, primarily under conditions where growth is possible. This analogue has been used to enrich for auxotrophic mutants in ultraviolet-irradiated populations. The survivors were found to contain from 1.6 to 33.0% amino acid auxotrophs and from 19 to 29% pyrimidine nucleoside auxotrophs. Since many different biological systems are sensitive to 8-azaguanine, the use of this analogue to enrich for auxotrophic mutants may have a more general application than techniques currently employed.