DNA SYNTHESIS-KINETICS, CELL DIVISION DELAY, AND POST-REPLICATION REPAIR AFTER UV IRRADIATION OF FROZEN CELLS OF E. COLI B/r

Abstract— Previous studies have shown that the relative yields of photoproducts produced in the DNA of Escherichia coli cells UV irradiated at -79°C differ from those produced at +21°C; the yield of DNA-protein cross-links was markedly enhanced at -79°C while the yield of thymine dimers was reduced. In the present studies, cells of E. coli B/r thy were frozen at -79°C, and then UV irradiated (254nm) while frozen(4.7 J m^-2), or after thawing (22 Jm^-2). Essentially the same survival, cell division delay, and DNA synthesis kinetics were observed for these two samples after irradiation, even though the UV fluence differed by a factor of ˜5. This supports previous observations that a correlation exists between the magnitude of the effects of UV radiation upon DNA synthesis kinetics and on cell survival. The weight average molecular weight of the pulse labeled DNA in the sample irradiated at +21°C was one-half that of the sample irradiated at -79°C, and complete repair of daughter-strand gaps was observed in both cases. Thus, UV-induced lesions produced in cells at -79°C (i.e. DNA-protein cross-links) appear to be amenable to post-replicational repair. While the overall DNA synthesis kinetics were the same for the two irradiation procedures, the apparent number of lesions produced per unit length of DNA was not. This suggests that each of the lesions produced in frozen cells, although apparently fewer in number, must cause a longer local delay in DNA synthesis than those lesions produced at +21°C.