SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MUTANTS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI RESISTANT TO GAMMA IRRADIATION

Experimental evolution of ultraviolet radiation resistance in Escherichia coli

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a major cause of stress, mutation, and mortality in microorganisms, causing numerous forms of cellular damage. Nevertheless, there is tremendous variation within and among bacterial species in their sensitivity to UV light. We investigated direct and correlated responses to selection during exposure to UV. Replicate lines of Escherichia coli K12 were propagated for 600 generations, half with UV and half as a control without UV. All lines responded to selection, and we found strong positive and negative correlated responses to selection associated with increased UV resistance. Compared to Control populations, UV-selected populations increased in desiccation and starvation resistance approximately twofold but were 10 times more sensitive to hypersalinity. There was little evidence for a persistent large competitive fitness cost to UV resistance. These results suggest that natural variation in UV resistance may be maintained by trade-offs for resistance to other abiotic sources of mortality. We observed an average twofold increase in cell size by the UV-selected populations, consistent with a structural mode of adaptation to UV exposure having preadaptive and maladaptive consequences to other abiotic stresses.

A CYTOLOGICAL STUDY OF NORMAL AND RADIATION-RESISTANT ESCHERICHIA COLI

A series of cultures of Escherichia coli exhibiting resistance to gamma irradiation was studied cytologically. The length of the cells in the cultures increased as the resistance to irradiation increased. The most resistant cultures contained a high percentage of long filamentous cells 30–40 times longer than normal. A striking increase in the apparent number of nuclei per cell accompanied cellular elongation. These resistant cells also exhibited a peculiar "budding" phenomenon which only occurred in the more radiation-resistant cultures. Conjectures are offered on the relationship between these findings and a basis for resistance to irradiation.

Deoxyribonucleic acid repair in a highly radiation-resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium

Deoxyribonucleic acid repair was studied in gamma-irradiated wild-type Salmonella typhimurium and in a radiation-resistant derivative 20 times more resistant than wild type. After exposure to 20 or 50 krad, the wild-type strain (DB21) degraded 30 to 50% of its prelabeled DNA into acid-soluble fragments, whereas the radioresistant strain degraded less than 15% after 4 h of incubation. Post-irradiation synthesis of DNA in the wild-type strain DB21 was reduced after a dose of 20 krad and totally inhibited after exposure to 200 krad. With radiation-resistant strain, D21R6008, on the other hand, DNA synthesis was delayed after a dose of 200 krad but not inhibited. Doses of 20 and 200 krad produced a similar number of single-strand breaks in the DNA of both strains as determined by zone sedimentation analysis in alkaline sucrose gradients. The radiation-resistant strain D21R6008, on the other hand, DNA synthesis was strand breaks in its DNA and repairs these damages more rapidly than wild-type Salmonella.

Radiation-resistant mutants of Salmonella typhimurium LT2: development and characterization

A series of repeated exposures to gamma irradiation with intervening outgrowth of survivors was used to develop radioresistant cultures of Salmonella typhimuium LT2. Stepwise increases in resistance to both ionizing and ultraviolet irradiation were obtained independently of the presence or absence of integrated P22 prophage. Single clonal isolates, representing parent and radioresistant populations, retained the general characteristics of the LT2 parent, including serological properties, phage typing, antibiotic sensitivities, mouse virulence, and most biochemical test reactions. Resistant cells were generally larger and contained 1.8 to 2.1 times more ribonucleic acid and protein than parent cells, but deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contents were similar. Heterogeneity in the populations with respect to release of H(2)S, utilization of carbon sources, and growth on minimal medium is considered to be ancillary, rather than causally related, to increased radioresistance. The resistant isolates displayed an increased ability to reactivate gamma-irradiated P22 phage. DNA polymerase I and polynucleotide-joining enzyme activities were elevated in extracts of radioresistant cells relative to parent cells. It is suggested that the observed increases in radioresistance result from a selection of mutations leading to an increased capacity to repair DNA.

Effect of repeated irradiation on various characteristics of Salmonella

Four Salmonella serotypes which had been subjected to either 15 or 20 cycles of irradiation and subculture were examined for possible changes induced by the treatment. With three serotypes virulence remained unchanged, and with one serotype a reduction had occurred. A few minor changes in the biochemical characteristics occurred in some instances, but with all cultures the serological property was affected to some extent. Lag times and growth rates of the treated cultures were not altered, but the maximal viable population was usually less than that for untreated cultures.

Development of radiation resistance in Salmonella cultures

Cultures of Salmonella subjected to repeated cycles of gamma-irradiation and subculture developed radiation resistance sooner at a low cycling dose ( approximately 1% survival) compared to a high cycling dose ( approximately 0.001% survival). Radioresistant cells in a population of radiosensitive cells of Salmonella newport or S. typhimurium could be selected by the double-irradiation plate method. The frequency of radioresistant cells in a population of S. newport was found to be about 1 per 8.9 million. Radio-resistant cells obtained by cyclic irradiation and subculture were larger (plumper) than the parent strain and showed a marked pleomorphism.