The influence of several variables for nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis inLactobacillus plantarum

Abstract

Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium responsible for the lactic fermentation of Spanish-type green olives. N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) appears to be the most potent chemical mutagen and now is widely used by bacterial geneticists because it induces a high frequency of mutation. The efficiency of the MNNG treatment under a variety of conditions was examined, and it was found that the optimal effects are achieved by exposing a suspension of about 109 log-phase cells to 500μg MNNG in 1 ml Tris-maleate buffer, 0.2M, pH 5.5, for 30 min at 28°C in the dark and without shaking.