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

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, November 1999, p. 6756-6762, Vol. 181, No. 21
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Influence of S-Adenosylmethionine Pool Size on Spontaneous Mutation, Dam Methylation, and Cell Growth of Escherichia coli

Lauren M. Posnick and Leona D. Samson*

Division of Toxicology, Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Received 6 April 1999/Accepted 27 July 1999

Escherichia coli strains that are deficient in the Ada and Ogt DNA repair methyltransferases display an elevated spontaneous G:C-to-A:T transition mutation rate, and this increase has been attributed to mutagenic O6-alkylguanine lesions being formed via the alkylation of DNA by endogenous metabolites. Here we test the frequently cited hypothesis that S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) can act as a weak alkylating agent in vivo and that it contributes to endogenous DNA alkylation. By regulating the expression of the rat liver SAM synthetase and the bacteriophage T3 SAM hydrolase proteins in E. coli, a 100-fold range of SAM levels could be achieved. However, neither increasing nor decreasing SAM levels significantly affected spontaneous mutation rates, leading us to conclude that SAM is not a major contributor to the endogenous formation of O6-methylguanine lesions in E. coli.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. Phone: (617) 432-1085. Fax: (617) 432-0400. E-mail: lsamson{at}sph.harvard.edu.

Journal of Bacteriology, November 1999, p. 6756-6762, Vol. 181, No. 21
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Heurlier, K., Vendeville, A., Halliday, N., Green, A., Winzer, K., Tang, C. M., Hardie, K. R. (2009). Growth Deficiencies of Neisseria meningitidis pfs and luxS Mutants Are Not Due to Inactivation of Quorum Sensing. J. Bacteriol. 191: 1293-1302 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Evdokimov, A. A., Sclavi, B., Zinoviev, V. V., Malygin, E. G., Hattman, S., Buckle, M. (2007). Study of Bacteriophage T4-encoded Dam DNA (Adenine-N6)-methyltransferase Binding with Substrates by Rapid Laser UV Cross-linking. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 26067-26076 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Urbonavicius, J., Jager, G., Bjork, G. R. (2007). Amino acid residues of the Escherichia coli tRNA(m5U54)methyltransferase (TrmA) critical for stability, covalent binding of tRNA and enzymatic activity. Nucleic Acids Res 35: 3297-3305 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • McDaniel, B. A., Grundy, F. J., Kurlekar, V. P., Tomsic, J., Henkin, T. M. (2006). Identification of a Mutation in the Bacillus subtilis S-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Gene That Results in Derepression of S-Box Gene Expression.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3674-3681 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • LaMonte, B. L., Hughes, J. A. (2006). In vivo hydrolysis of S-adenosylmethionine induces the met regulon of Escherichia coli.. Microbiology 152: 1451-1459 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • McDaniel, B. A. M., Grundy, F. J., Artsimovitch, I., Henkin, T. M. (2003). Transcription termination control of the S box system: Direct measurement of S-adenosylmethionine by the leader RNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 3083-3088 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Winzer, K., Hardie, K. R., Burgess, N., Doherty, N., Kirke, D., Holden, M. T. G., Linforth, R., Cornell, K. A., Taylor, A. J., Hill, P. J., Williams, P. (2002). LuxS: its role in central metabolism and the in vitro synthesis of 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone. Microbiology 148: 909-922 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Macintyre, G., Atwood, C. V., Cupples, C. G. (2001). Lowering S-Adenosylmethionine Levels in Escherichia coli Modulates C-to-T Transition Mutations. J. Bacteriol. 183: 921-927 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vilkaitis, G., Merkiene, E., Serva, S., Weinhold, E., Klimasauskas, S. (2001). The Mechanism of DNA Cytosine-5 Methylation. KINETIC AND MUTATIONAL DISSECTION OF HhaI METHYLTRANSFERASE. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 20924-20934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Evdokimov, A. A., Zinoviev, V. V., Malygin, E. G., Schlagman, S. L., Hattman, S. (2002). Bacteriophage T4 Dam DNA-[N6-adenine]Methyltransferase. KINETIC EVIDENCE FOR A CATALYTICALLY ESSENTIAL CONFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN THE TERNARY COMPLEX. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 279-286 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»