Mutations to Nitrofurantoin and Nitrofurazone Resistance in Escherichia coli K12

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Abstract
The isolation and properties of nitrofurantoin- and nitrofurazone-resistant mutants of E. coli were compared. Nitrofurantoin-resistant mutants were easier to obtain and showed a higher resistance level. There was some cross-resistance at lower drug concentrations but not at higher levels. There was no difference in the UV resistance of most of the mutants obtained although a recB strain, AB2470, did yield nitrofurantoin-resistant mutants with increased UV resistance. This was, however, the only repair-defective strain which could be mutated to nitrofurantoin resistance. There may be a mechanism for nitrofurantoin resistance in E. coli K12 which does not confer resistance to nitrofurazone and may be associated with the repair of damaged DNA. This mechanism is in addition to that which also confers resistance to nitrofurazone.