[Photosensitizing effect of 8-methoxypsoralen on bacteriophage cd]

Mutagenesis in extracellular phage sd by 8-metoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and longwave (lambda greater than 310 nm) UV-irradiation has been established. The kinetics of lethal and mutagenic effects of 8-MOP+light was studied. The efficiency of mutagenesis on the first linear part of mutation curve was 0.3% per the lethal hit which is 2 times lower than that of shortwave (lambda=254 nm) UV-irradiation. The maximum yield of mutants makes up 1%, after which the mutation curve is maintained. It has been established that the main (may be the only) contribution into mutagenesis is made by monoadducts, whereas the lethal effect is conditioned by diadducts (cross-links). The comparison of the efficiency of mutagenic effects of 8-MOP+light with mutagenic effects of other kinds of irradiations was carried out. The possibility of repair of damaged 8-MOP+light phage sd DNA by transfection of Escherichia coli C (uvr+) and Cs (uvr-) lysozyme spheroplasts has been established. The repair mechanism of photodamage in intact phage sd induced with 8-MOP+light was also investigated using the method of two-step irradiation. It has been shown that 65% of photodamages are repaired in E. coli SK cells in the M9 medium, i. e. under cellular metabolism. The recovery of phage sd is completely inhibited in phosphate buffer. Unlike chloramphenicol (150 microgram/ml), 1% caffeine blocks the phage recovery only by 30%. The participation of phage sd determining enzymes in its intracellular recovery from 8-MOP+light damages is assumed.