Mutagenesis in Streptococcus lactis exposed to UV irradiation and alkylating agents

The lethal and mutagenic effects of various mutagens on three strains of Streptococcus lactis were investigated. Lethality studies demonstrated that S. lactis was relatively sensitive to UV irradiation, methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and, to a lesser extent, to ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). A spontaneous derivative Lac-, which has lost a 37-Md plasmid, was slightly more resistant and much less mutable than the wild-type after UV irradiation. Although the three strains were strongly mutated by EMS for the genetic marker assayed (Rifr), an increase in the mutation frequency was also observed after MMS and MNNG treatments.