On the protection of E. coli against radiation lethality by ascorbate combined with tetracycline

The radioprotective action in E. coli ATCC 9637 of ascorbate added to media containing the weak sensitizer, tetracycline (effect described by Pittillo and Lucas (1967)), was found to be dependent on the presence of metal catalysts of the autoxidation of ascorbate. Thus, the protective action of ascorbate + tetracycline as well as the rate of autoxidation of ascorbate in this mixture were enhanced by 0.1 micron Cu, and these effects were counteracted by pyrophosphate probably through chelation of iron that contaminates phosphate. A suppression of metabolism is apparently involved in the combined action as judged by the decrease of incorporation of labelled uridine.