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Effects of UmuDC and MucAB overproduction on resistance to UV induced mortality, on W-reactivation and on the kinetics of UV-lysogenic induction of lambda phage in Escherichia coli

Maria das Graças Luna; André Benedito da Silva; Alvaro Augusto da Costa Leitão

Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde (Bloco G), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Send correspondence to A.A.C.L.

ABSTRACT

We analysed the effect of overproduction of UmuDC and MucAB proteins on phage survival, W-reactivation, cell survival and the kinetics of phage production in Escherichia coli. We could not detect W-reactivation in uvrA6 mutants (AB 1886) even with an excess of UmuDC or MucAB proteins. We also observed a strong inhibition of lysogenic induction and of spontaneous phage production in uvrA6 mutants carrying a multicopy plasmid containing umuDC genes. However this effect was weaker in strains carrying a multicopy plasmid containing mucAB genes.

Keywords: UmuDC; MucAB; overproduction; UV; induced mortality; W-reactivation; UV-lysogenic; lambda phage; Escherichia coli.

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