Genetic mapping of ada and adc mutations affecting the adaptive response of Escherichia coli to alkylating agents.

The adaptive response to alkylating agents is an inducible repair system which protects Escherichia coli against the mutagenicity and toxicity of these agents. Four mutations, ada-3, ada-5, ada-6, and adc-1, which confer differing phenotypes as regards this response, were shown to be cotransducible with gyrA, and were located at 47 min on the E. coli genetic map. A mutation already shown on the map at 47 min as tag (B. J. Bachmann and K. B. Low, Microbiol. Rev. 44:1--56, 1980; Karran et al., J. Mol. Biol. 140:101--127, 1980) is now known to be an ada mutation (G. Evensen and E. Seeberg, personal communication).