Inducible Error-Prone Repair and Induction of Prophage Lambda in Escherichia coli

Abstract

The chapter discusses the inducible error-prone repair and induction of prophage lambda in escherichia coli. The chapter also discusses the nature and significance of inducible error-prone repair in E.coli (nicknamed “SOS” repair), which is understood independently of another inducible cellular process, induction of prophage λ that also results from the unscheduled arrest of DNA replication produced by DNA damage. Inducible error-prone repair is but one facet of a general cellular inducible mechanism. The unitary hypotheses of SOS repair and SOS functions have provoked much experimental work. The cellular functions induced by DNA damage appear to be led-controlled functions. It is noted that experimental data now indicate that, apart from being under the probable control of a common repressor, all cellular functions induced by DNA damage have different molecular mechanisms. Mutagenesis induced by DNA damage has been considered as one of the basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Some researchers in this field have considered of general value the fact that there exists in bacteria an inducible error-prone repair mechanism that can account for the appearance of most mutations. It must be stressed that epigenetic mechanisms such as induction of dormant viruses are also observed in bacteria.