Participation of DNA polymerase II in the increased precise excision of Tn10

In this work the involvement of polymerase II (Pol II) in the precise excision of Tn10 stimulated by a dnaB252 thermosensitive (Ts) mutant at the permissive temperature, by a uvrD mutant, or by mitomycin C (MMC) or ultraviolet (UV) light treatment, was investigated. A deltapolB::kan mutant showed a significant decrease in the excision of Tn10 induced by the dnaB mutation, or by MMC or UV treatment, indicating the participation of Pol II in this type of deletion process. However, no effect of Pol II was evidenced in the excision of Tn10 stimulated by the uvrD mutation. The effect of the polB mutation on Tn10 precise excision induced by all these treatments was compared to that of mutations in repair-recombination genes recF and recA. The results reveal that the degree of participation of these genes varies depending on the agent that stimulates the deletion event.