Mechanisms of ultraviolet-induced mutation. Mutational spectra in the Escherichia coli lacI gene for a wild-type and an excision-repair-deficient strain.

We have analyzed the DNA sequence changes in a total of 409 ultraviolet light-induced mutations in the lacI gene of Escherichia coli: 227 in a Uvr+ and 182 in a UvrB- strain. Both differences and similarities were observed. In both strains the mutations were predominantly (60 to 75%) base substitutions, followed by smaller contributions of single-base frameshifts, deletions and frameshift hotspot mutations. The base substitutions proved largely similar in the two strains but differences were observed among the single-base frameshifts, the deletions and the hotspot mutations. Among the base substitutions, both transitions (72.5%) and transversions (27.5%) were observed. The largest single group was G.C----A.T (60% of all base substitutions). The sites where G.C----A.T changes occurred were strongly correlated (97.5%) with sequences of adjacent pyrimidines, indicating mutation targeted ultraviolet photoproducts. Comparable amounts of mutation occurred at cytosine/cytosine and (mixed) cytosine/thymine sites. From an analysis of the prevalence of mutation at either the 5' or 3' side of a dipyrimidine, we conclude that both cyclobutane dimers and (6-4) lesions may contribute to mutation. Despite the general similarity of the base-substitution spectra between the wild-type and excision-defective strains, a number of sites were uniquely mutable in the UvrB- strain. Analysis of their surrounding DNA sequences suggested that, in addition to damage directly at the site of mutation, the potential for nearby opposite-strand damage may be important in determining the mutability of a site. The ultraviolet light-induced frameshift mutations were largely single-base losses. Inspection of the DNA sequences at which the frameshifts occurred suggested that they resulted from targeted mutagenesis, probably at cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. The prevalence of frameshift mutations at homodimers (TT or CC) suggests that their formation involves local misalignment (slippage) and that base-pairing properties are partially retained in cyclobutane dimers. While the frameshift mutations in the Uvr+ strain were distributed over many different sites, more than half in the UvrB- strain were concentrated at a single site. Ultraviolet light-induced deletions as well as frameshift hotspot mutations (+/- TGGC at positions 620 to 632) are considered to be examples of untargeted or semitargeted mutagenesis. Hotspot mutations in the Uvr+ strain showed an increased contribution by (-)TGGC relative to (+)TGGC, indicating that ultraviolet light may specifically promote the loss of the four bases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)