Mutation induction by 365-nm radiation and far-ultraviolet light in Escherichia coli strains differing in near- and far-ultraviolet light sensitivity.

The his-4 locus derived from Escherichia coli strain AB1157 has been transduced into 4 E. coli strains that exhibit all 4 possible combinations of genes controlling sensitivity to near-ultraviolet light (nur versus nur+) and far-ultraviolet light (uvrA6 versus uvrA+). The 4 strains exhibited the predicted sensitivity to 254-nm radiation based on the sensitivity of the parent strains from which they were derived and the frequency of his+ mutations predicted from experiments with AB1157 from which the his-4 locus was derived. When the 4 strains were treated with 365-nm radiation, they exhibited the predicted sensitivity based on the near-ultraviolet light sensitivity of the strains from which they were derived while his+ mutations were undetectable with the 4 strains as well as with strain AB1157. When treated with 365-nm radiation, cells of a WP2s strain (a derivative of B/r transduced to his-4) plated on semi-enriched medium prepared with casamino acids did not yield induced mutations, whereas plating on semi-enriched medium prepared with nutrient broth did yield mutants at both the his-4 and trp loci at frequencies at least an order of magnitude lower than that observed with far-ultraviolet light. The induction of nutritionally independent mutants by 365-nm radiation is strongly dependent on the supplement used for semi-enrichment. When compared at equivalent survival levels, mutant frequencies are significantly less following 365-nm radiation when compared with far-ultraviolet radiation.