[Specific mutagenic effectiveness of 1,4-bis-diazoacetylbutane in relation to individual genes]

A selective effect of 1,4-bis-diazoacetylbutane (DAB) with respect to individual genes is observed when studying its mutagenic action on bacterial strains. Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The frequency of mutations to thr+ exceeded in three orders the background of spontaneous variability for this marker. No induced mutations to trp+ and his+ leu+, which might be the result of transition, transversions, suppressor mutations and frame shift mutations, were detected. Mutagenic effect of DAB is due to the functioning of the gene uvr+. Several hypotheses are proposed on possible mechanism of the specific effect of DAB with respect to individual genes.