T 4 -mediated v-gene reactivation of UV-irradiated phage Ti, and its comparison with host-cell reactivation

Dyes in aquaculture and reference points for action

The European Commission requested EFSA to evaluate whether a series of dyes are covered by the ‘Guidance on methodological principles and scientific methods to be taken into account when establishing Reference Points for Action (RPAs) for non‐allowed pharmacologically active substances present in food of animal origin’ and to which group they should be attributed according to this guidance. Although these substances are not registered for use in food‐producing animals in the European Union, they may be used illegally in aquaculture for their antimicrobial properties. It was concluded that acriflavine, 3‐aminoacridine, aminoacridine, basic blue 7, brilliant green, leucobrilliant green, C.I. basic blue 26, chloranil, crystal violet, leucocrystal violet, dichlone, ethyl violet, methylene blue, new methylene blue, Nile blue, pararosaniline base, proflavine, proflavine hydrochloride, rhodamine 6G and trypan red are covered by the guidance document and belong to group I. A toxicological screening value of 0.0025 μg/kg body weight per day is applicable. Azure blue and potassium permanganate were excluded from the evaluation due to their inorganic nature.

Host cell reactivation capacity of different strains of E. coli B resistant or sensitive to ozone

Host cell reactivation capacity for ozonated or irradiated phage was determined for different strains of E. coli either more sensitive or resistant to ozone than the wild type strain. The results suggest that the ozr gene product could be involved in the same repair pathway for ozone-induced lesions on DNA as the polA gene. The possible involvement of a specific endonuclease for these lesions is also considered.

On the lack of host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated phage T5 II. Further characterization of the repair inhibition exerted by T5 infection

Experiments reported in the preceding paper [4] had shown that host-cell reactivation (HCR) of UV-irradiated phage T1 in excision-repair proficient Escherichia coli cells is inhibited by superinfection with phage T5. Theoretical considerations have led to predictions concerning the dependence of repair inhibition on the multiplicity of superinfecting T5 phage and on the UV fluence to which they were exposed. These predicitions have been supported by experimental results described in this paper. The fluence dependence permitted calculation of the relative UV sensitivity of the gene function responsible for repair inhibition; it was found to be about 2.3% that of the plaque-forming ability of phage T5. The T5-inhibitable step in excision repair occurs early in the infective cycle of T1. Furthermore, experiments involving the presence of 400 mug/ml chloramphenicol showed that HCR inhibition of T1 is caused by a protein produced after the FST segment of T5 (i.e. the first 8% of the T5 genome) has entered the host cell. A previously described minor T1 recovery process, occurring in both excision-repair-proficient and -deficient host cells, is inhibited by T5 infection due to a different substance, which is most likely associated with the "second-step-transfer" region of T5 DNA (involving the remainder of the genome). Superinfection with T4v1 phage resulted in HCR inhibition of T1, resembling that observed after T5 superinfection. The discussion of these results suggests that inhibition of the bacterial excision repair system by T5 or T4 infection occurs at the level of UV-endonucleolytic incision, and that lack of HCR both in T-even phages and in T5 can be explained in the same manner.

Evidence against phenotypic mixing between bacteriophage T4 wild type and T4v minus

In a recent publication Shames et al. (1973) concluded that the UV-specific T4 endonuclease (a repair enzyme coded for by the gene v of wild-type T4) is a component of extracellular phage, which is injected into the host cell and can perform an early repair step without requiring gene expression. This notion is, however, not supported by results presented in this paper. Lysates obtained from mixed multiple infection of Escherichia coli cells with T4v(1) (-) and T4v(+) (or T4v(2) (-) and T4v(+)) failed to show the expected phenotypic mixing, i.e., incorporation of UV endonuclease into capsids of v(-) phages resulting in recognizable repair. The fraction of v(+) and v(-) particles in such lysates was determined by single-plaque analysis before and after irradiation with a UV dose at which virtually all survivors are particles having undergone repair. Even though our mixed infection conditions were most favorable for the possible occurrence of phenotypic mixing, none out of several hundred individual plaques from survivors were found to be genotypically v(-), whereas 30 were expected in the case that phenotypically mixed v(-) particles were repaired like T4v(+). Our failure to observe phenotypic mixing suggests that the data by Shames et al. reflect intracellular synthesis of endonuclease after phage infection.