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A Mycobacterial smc Null Mutant Is Proficient in DNA Repair and Long-Term Survival

Carolin Güthlein,^* Roger M. Wanner, Peter Sander, Erik C. Böttger, and Burkhard Springer

Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, and Nationales Zentrum für Mykobakterien, Gloriastr. 30, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland

Received 14 August 2007/ Accepted 21 October 2007

SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) proteins play fundamental roles in various aspects of chromosome organization and dynamics, including repair of DNA damage. Mutant strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis defective in SMC were constructed. Surprisingly, inactivation of smc did not result in recognizable phenotypes in hallmark assays characteristic for the function of these genes. This is in contrast to data for smc null mutants in other species.

Published ahead of print on 2 November 2007.

Present address: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Beethovenstrasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.