Induction of the alkA gene of Escherichia coli in gram-negative bacteria.

A broad-host-range plasmid containing a fusion of the alkA and lacZ genes of Escherichia coli was introduced into various aerobic and facultative gram-negative bacteria--33 species belonging to 19 genera--to study the induction of expression of the alkA gene by alkylating agents. The bacteria included species of the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Vibrionaceae, Neisseriaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, and Azotobacteraceae. Results obtained show that all bacteria tested, except Aeromonas hydrophila, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Hafnia alvei, Rhizobium meliloti, Salmonella enteritidis, Xanthomonas campestris, and those of the genus Rhodobacter, are able to induce the alkA gene of E. coli in the presence of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. All these data indicate that the adaptive response to alkylating agents is present in bacterial species of several families and that the Ada box sequence must be widely conserved.