The muc+ gene of plasmid pKM101 prevents respiration shutoff in far ultraviolet-irradiated Salmonella typhimurium.

The plasmid PKM101 is known to protect Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium against killing by far UV irradiation and to enhance UV-induced mutagenesis. The muc+ gene of the plasmid is responsible for both of these effects. This paper shows that respiration of S. typhimurium shuts off about an hour after UV irradiation and that pKM101 prevents the shutoff. Plasmids which contained Tn5 translocatable elements, either in (and having produced a muc mutation) or flanking the muc+ gene, have been introduced into S. typhimurium. The muc mutant plasmid, which does not protect its host against UV killing and does not enhance UV induced mutagenesis, also does not protect against UV induced respiration shutoff. Likewise, plasmids in which the Tn5 translocatable elements flank the muc+ gene protect against shutoff of respiration. Thus the muc+ gene of pKM101 is responsible for protection against UV induced shutoff of respiration in S. typhimurium.