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The Escherichia coli lacZ reversion mutagenicity assay
1Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. josephy@chembio.uoguelph.ca
Abstract:
The Escherichia coli lacZ reversion assay, based on the set of episomal lacZ alleles engineered by Miller et al., provides an attractive system for studies of mutagenesis and mutational specificity. Each strain in the lacZ set reverts by a specific base substitution or frameshift event. Revertants are selected by growth on lactose minimal medium. In this review, I describe the development of the assay and its subsequent modifications and improvements. Examples of its application are presented and detailed protocols for the implementation of the assay are given.