Plasmid Modification of Radiation and Chemical-mutagen Sensitivity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract
The R factor pMG2 protects P. aeruginosa against the lethal effects of UV and .gamma. irradiation, and methyl methanesulfonate and N-methyl-N''-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment. Enhanced survival occurs in strains of uvr+ rec+ (wild-type) genotype and a variety of uvr rec+ type mutants. No protection occurs in a recA-type mutant. The plasmid also enhances UV-induced mutagenesis. These effects may be due to host-cell controlled plasmid-determined DNA repair function(s). Studies on P. aeruginosa strains deficient in DNA polymerase I (polA) suggest that a plasmid-determined repair resynthesis function may be responsible for increased UV-survival and enhanced UV-mutability in pMG2-containing bacteria.

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