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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fernandez de Henestrosa, A R Articles by Barbé, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fernandez de Henestrosa, A R Articles by Barbé, J

 Previous Article

J Bacteriol. 1991 December; 173(23): 7736-7740

research-article

Induction of the alkA gene of Escherichia coli in gram-negative bacteria.

A R Fernandez de Henestrosa and J Barbé

Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.

ABSTRACT

A broad-host-range plasmid containing a fusion of the alkA and lacZ genes of Escherichia coli was introduced into various aerobic and facultative gram-negative bacteria--33 species belonging to 19 genera--to study the induction of expression of the alkA gene by alkylating agents. The bacteria included species of the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Vibrionaceae, Neisseriaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, and Azotobacteraceae. Results obtained show that all bacteria tested, except Aeromonas hydrophila, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Hafnia alvei, Rhizobium meliloti, Salmonella enteritidis, Xanthomonas campestris, and those of the genus Rhodobacter, are able to induce the alkA gene of E. coli in the presence of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. All these data indicate that the adaptive response to alkylating agents is present in bacterial species of several families and that the Ada box sequence must be widely conserved.

---

J Bacteriol. 1991 December; 173(23): 7736-7740