This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Petranovic, M Articles by Trogovcevic, Z Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Petranovic, M Articles by Trogovcevic, Z

Inactivation of prophage in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli: dependence on recA gene activity.

M Petranovi, E Salaj-Smic, D Petranovi and Z Trogovcevi

ABSTRACT

The fate of the prophage part of the lysogenic chromosome was followed in the course of post-ultraviolet incubation. For this purpose, lambda cI857 ind prophage, which can be induced by heat but not by ultraviolet light, was used. The prophage, intially more resistant than its repair-proficient host cell, was rapidly inactivated. This inactivation was not caused by the impaired capacity of irradiated cells to support growth of the phage. Over the entire dose range tested, little, if any, sensitivity difference between the host and the prophage was found at the end of cell division delay. Rapid inactivation of the prophage was also observed in uvr cells after small doses of ultraviolet light. The same small doses did not cause inactivation in lysogens carrying a mutation in the gene recA. This suggests that the functional gene recA is required for inactivation of the prophage part of the lysogenic chromosome.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kobayashi, H., Kaern, M., Araki, M., Chung, K., Gardner, T. S., Cantor, C. R., Collins, J. J. (2004). Programmable cells: Interfacing natural and engineered gene networks. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 8414-8419 [Abstract] [Full Text]