RECOVERY OF Escherichia coli K-12 FROM NEAR-ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION-INDUCED MEMBRANE DAMAGE

Abstract A wild-type Escherichia coli K-12 strain was irradiated with broad-band near-ultraviolet radiation (from Black-Light Blue fluorescent lamps) and after holding at 37°C for various times in a complex recovery medium, was assessed for viability on either complex medium (YENB) or minimal medium containing a high inorganic salt content. A near-ultraviolet radiation fluence was used which reduced the surviving fraction to approximately 10% when assessing for viability on the complex medium plates. A near-ultraviolet radiation induced sensitivity to inorganic salt was observed which was largely recoverable by holding treated cells in a complex recovery medium. The majority of the recovery process occurred in the initial 2 h post-irradiation holding period. No inhibition of the recovery process was produced by adding chloramphenicol (40 μg/m l ) or penicillin G (11 units/m l ) to the recovery medium, indicating that neither protein synthesis nor cell wall synthesis, respectively, were required for recovery. However, by adding bacitracin, an antibiotic which acts in part by inhibiting membrane synthesis, to the recovery medium, an effect on recovery from salt sensitivity was observed. At the concentrations of bacitracin used (0.6 and 0.2 units/m l ), little or no effect was observed on unirradiated cells, but both concentrations decreased the amount of recovery of irradiated cells. These results demonstrate that recovery from near-ultraviolet radiation-induced salt sensitivity occurs, it is independent of cell growth and the effect of bacitracin suggests that membrane synthesis may be required for recovery.