Near-UV mutagenesis: photoreactivation of 365-nm-induced mutational lesions in Escherichia coli WP2s

Reversion to tryptophan independence induced by 365-nm and 254-nm radiation was studied in Escherichia coli WP2s (B/r trp uvrA). Under aerobic conditions, the mutant frequency responses was of the fluence-square or "two-hit" type at both 365 and 254 nm when revertants were assayed on minimal agar supplemented with 2% nutrient broth (SEM plates). In contrast, when mutants were assayed on minimal agar supplemented with tryptophan only, the revertant yield was reduced to very low values at 365 nm, whereas values substantially greater than with SEM plates were obtained at 254 nm. Premutational lesions induced by both 365-nm and 254-nm radiation were photoreactivated more than 10-fold when assayed on SEM plates, implicating pyrimidine dimers as premutational lesions at both wavelengths. The strong photoreactivation of 365-nm-induced mutagenesis contrasted strikingly with the complete absence of photoreactivation of 365-nm-induced lethality in this strain.