DNA repair in E. coli strains deficient in single-strand DNA binding protein

Weigle reactivation and mutagenesis have been found to be defective in strains of E. coli deficient in single-strand DNA binding protein (SSB). These defects parallel those previously found in prophage induction and amplification of recA protein synthesis in ssb- strains. Together, these results demonstrate a role for SSB in the induction of SOS responses. UV survival studies of ssb- recA- and ssb- uvr- strains are presented which also suggest a role for SSB in recombinational repair processes but not in excision repair. Studies of host cell reactivation support this latter conclusion.