[Mutagenic action of nitrous acid on prophage lambda]

The lethal and mutagenic effects of nitrous acid (0,1 M NaNO2 in 0,1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.6) on prophage lambda cI857 ind- were studied in the wild-type cells of Escherichia coli and in 9 repair-deficient mutants: uvrA6, uvrA6 umuC36, uvrD3, uvrE502, polA1, recA13, lexA102, recF143 and xthA9. After treatment with HNO2, the prophage was heat-induced either immediately or after 90 min incubation in broth at 32 degrees C. The prophage survival after delayed induction was considerably higher than after immediate induction. The lethal action of HNO2 was highly expressed in uvrA- and uvrE- lysogens after delayed induction. The frequency of temperature-independent c mutants forming clear plaques at 32 degrees C reached 4% in the wild-type host after immediate induction, this value being 10-15% in uvrA, uvrA umuC, uvrD, uvrE, polA and xthA mutants, 0,8% in recF- lysogen and only 0,2-0,3% in recA and lexA mutants. Under these conditions, about 90% of c mutants are generated by recA+, lexA+-dependent repair mechanism (most probably, due to W-mutagenesis). After delayed induction, mutation frequency in the wild-type host declines considerably (down to 0,1%). Analogous phenomenon of mutation frequency decline was registered in uvrA, xthA, recF, polA, uvrE and uvrD lysogens. Under conditions of delayed induction, the frequency of HNO2-induced c mutations only slightly depends on the recA+ and lexA+ gene products and mutations are, apparently, fixed by replication.