Mutagenic effects of near ultraviolet and visible radiant energy on continuous cultures of escherichia coli.

Abstract

Abstract— –The induction of mutation to phage T5 resistance by near ultraviolet (u.v.) and visible light was studied in chemostat cultures of Escherichia coli strains B/r and B/r/1, trp. The visible light mutation rate to phage T5 resistance was independent of growth rate over the range studied. This result is consistent with a photochemical mechanism of mutagenesis. Changeovers, in which a faster growing subpopulation takes over the culture, usually causing the mutant frequency to decline sharply, occur more frequently in chemostat cultures irradiated with visible light than in cultures treated with far u.v. or caffeine. A preliminary action spectrum was obtained with aerated chemostats that revealed effective wavelengths to be between 330 nm and 500 nm. Wavelengths longer than 500 nm were not effective. Wavelengths longer than 340 nm were not mutagenic in anaerobic chemostats. This oxygen requirement for mutagenesis between 340 nm and 500 nm is consistent with a photodynamic mechanism of action. In aerated cultures, wavelengths between 400 nm and 500 nm were as effective as wavelengths between 330 nm and 400 nm. A number of naturally occurring compounds, including riboflavin and vitamin K, are consistent with the data as candidates for the chromophore responsible for near u.v. and visible light mutagenesis.