[Effect of O-methylhydroxylamine on extracellular phage cd]

Study was made of lethal and mutagenic effect of 1 M and 0,5 M O-methylhydroxylamine (OMHA) on extracellular phage Sd. The correlation between chemical changes of the genome and the degree of phage inactivation under the action of OMHA has been established within the range of studied pH (4,5-7,0) of the reaction medium. OMHA in activates the phage at the highest rate at pH 5,0, which agrees with chemical data indicating that the total rate of OMHA modification of cytidine units is maximal at this pH. Inactivation curves of OMHA-treated phage are single-hit at pH investigated, but have a small initial shoulder; at pH 5,0 and 4,5 inactivation curves consist of two exponents, the second exponent having the smallest slope, that is the phage is characterized by an increased resistance to OMHA at this section. The increased phage resistance can be explained by transforming the original product IV (cross-linked with protein) into the product II (N4-methoxy-6-methoxyamine-5,6-dihydrocytidine) which can be repaired in contrast to IV. OMHA has a high mutagenic effect on phage Sd. Under optimal conditions (at pH 4,5) the mutagen induces plaque mutants (up to 6%) among survived phages. The data obtained correlate with the fact that with decreasing pH (from 5,0 to 4,5) the ratio of the "mutagen" unit - N4-methoxycytidine (product III) to the "inactivating" one (product II) increases. The curves of mutation induction under the action of OMHA have a characteristic form with the initial linear section and the maximum or the plateau similar to mutation curves to be observed under the action of radiation and chemical agents.