Complexity of the ultraviolet mutation frequency response curve in Escherichia coli B/r: SOS induction, one-lesion and two-lesion mutagenesis.

Three distinct sections of the ultraviolet mutation frequency response (MFR) curve toward tryptophan prototrophy have been demonstrated in Excherichia coli B/r WP2 trp thy and its uvrA derivative in log-phase growth in minimal medium. The initial section, which appears fluence-squared, may reflect the necessity, if mutation is to result, for induction of two lesions, one located within the potentially mutated genetic locus and the other damaging deoxyribonucleic acid replication and resulting in inducation of the error-prone SOS repair function. A second linear section is ascribed to the continued induction, after exposure above that sufficient for complete SOS expression, of isolated lesions which lead to mutation in potentially mutated loci. The third section demonstrates an increased rate of mutagenesis and suggests the induction of two lesions in proximity which result in additional mutations. Split-exposure studies support the inducible nature of the SOS function and suggest that mutation frequency decline (MFD) is due to exicion resulting from or related to the prevention of SOS induction by inhibition of protein synthesis. Preirradiation tryptophan starvation of the uvr+ strain for 30 min decrease MFR in the first and second sections of the curve. Reduction of MFR in the third section requires more prestarvation time and is blocked by nalidixic acid. The decreased MFR of the first and second sections ascribed to promotion of postirradiation MFD based on excision and that of third section to completion of the chromosome during the prestarvation period.